Shoulder to shoulder: why stance matters in instructional coaching

Drawing on adult learning theory, this article proposes a coaching stance that is conducive to cultivating teacher agency and developing teacher effectiveness. As university-based teacher educators and literacy coaches in a large urban school district, the authors describe the evolution of three distinct coaching stances, based on a 3-year grant-funded school-based professional development effort. Using compelling vignettes and reflections from the field, the authors illustrate why the first two stances lack sustaining power; while the third one, that of a shoulder-to-shoulder stance, leads to productive coach/teacher collaboration and school-wide changes. Central to the effectiveness of this stance are 1), making student learning data accessible and meaningful to teachers; and 2), the positioning of the coach as a co-learner, thus turning the entire inquiry process as learning for everyone. This coaching stance is of value to teacher educators, coaches, designers of school leadership training programs - stakeholders who are interested in meeting the needs and demands of school-based professional learning communities.