Relationship Building Between Coach and Teachers – Building relationships and trust with teacher colleagues was viewed as important by the instructional coach, and served as an essential skill in these collegial relationships. It was evident that this coach genuinely prioritized these relationships and invested the time with their teacher colleagues to foster long-term impacts.

Flexibility in the Coach’s Role – The coach was very knowledgeable in how to approach each classroom to support the teacher’s and students’ needs, adapting to various grades, ages, skill levels and instructional requirements.  The coach’s strong interpersonal skills and perspective-taking abilities supported their flexibility and accommodation in coaching.

Differentiated Professional Learning for Teachers – The coach acknowledged the importance of providing appropriately paced support to ensure teachers have the time needed to retain new understandings and practices. They recognized a unique opportunity to coach a junior level French Immersion teacher in integrated instructional strategies in Language Arts, Social Studies and French Language. The coach skillfully adapted assessment and instructional methods to meet the distinct learning needs of some of the students in the class.

Acknowledge Coach’s Purpose and Maximize Role – Instructional coaching had the greatest impact when the coach actively co-taught with the teachers.

Continually Building Relationships with Teachers – The coach acknowledged the importance of building strong, supportive relationships with teachers, and viewed this as a foundational component to their role. They emphasized the importance of approaching their work with teachers in a non-judgemental, non-threatening manner, with a focus on asking questions and developing solutions collaboratively to shift teacher practices.

Coach as Advocate and Coordinator – Advocating for teacher resources and programming for students became a notable part of the role of the instructional coach; this was further challenged by a lack of funding and programming direction. The coach recognized the need for building collaborations with community partners, but questioned how these partnerships could be bridged.