The Problem with “Sit and Get” PD and Conventional Instructional Coaching

The problem with conventional “sit and get” PD is that it doesn’t often contain the mechanisms that lead to adoption of effective techniques. Listening to someone talk about “best practice” is far from a guarantee that this information, no matter how persuasive, will transfer into the classroom. Instructional coaching is perhaps the best evidenced solution to this problem. A well-trained coach provides teachers with a second set of eyes amid the messiness of the classroom. With a little groundwork and training, coaches are uniquely placed to provide ample and iterative opportunities for reflection, deliberate practice, and targeted feedback.

Not all coaching is equal

Coaching that is lacking the mechanisms of, say, modeling and deliberate practice, will be less effective than coaching that emphasizes these ingredients. When I was training to be a coach, we were told to withhold information from teachers to allow them to lead the conversation. This contrasted with my personal experience of having a coach who was willing, and had the skills, to get his hands dirty and actually show me what would make me a better teacher. Frankly, it seemed weird to be in the business of helping teachers get better – with real-life consequences for other people’s children – but then be encouraged to use such a blunt object as self-discovery. At some point, why not just give them a book?

Effective coaching is not “just telling” and it is not “just asking.” It is situational and responsive, but not in a vague sort of way. The coach draws on concrete evidence from classroom observations to deliver targeted questions and prompts that interact with a teacher’s prior knowledge and skills. On this basis, we arrive at next steps, model next steps, and practice next steps. This is by no means easy, which is why some coaches don’t do it well, and why a bit of scripting and training can help up-skill coaches in a relatively short amount of time.

I’d love to see you at one of the instructional coaching conferences we’re putting on in May 2025. Those days are coming up quick!

Here are the registration links – group discounts are available!