Opportunities to learn

An instructional coach provides many opportunities for teachers to learn. The coach's interactions with teachers permit teachers to share and reflect upon their practices. Coaches might present information about how to teach or why particular programs should be used, and teachers can ask questions.

At the same time, coaches are on a different hierarchical level than teachers. Coaches have access to different trainings and materials, as well as people- district administrators and principals. So coaches have a different bundle of social capital than teachers do. Coaches can use their position and social capital to persuade teachers to change their instructional practices.

• Does a coach persuade teachers so teachers learn about policy and instruction? Or does a coach support teacher learning to catalyze the persuasion of teachers to shift their practices?If persuasion occurs, then it seems likely that learning is happening, too--but what kind of learning?
  

• What does the coach need expertise on so they're effective at persuading and developing teachers? Can a coach serve as an outstanding teacher of teachers without being effective at persuading teachers to change? What about the reverse- how much teacher learning can occur if the coach is not persuasive?