Instructional coaching is often misunderstood in schools.

Too many times, instructional coaching is positioned as something for teachers who are struggling, new, or in need of fixing. That framing limits what coaching can actually do.

From my work alongside teachers at every stage—from developing to highly effective—it’s clear that instructional coaching is not just a support system. It is a strategic process for strengthening instruction across the board.

Coaching is not about remediation. It’s about refinement.

And that shift in thinking matters.

The real question schools have to ask is this:
Are we using coaching to address literacy instruction gaps, or are we using it to grow excellence?

Here’s why that distinction is important.

First, the higher the level of teaching, the harder it is to see your own next step. Early in a teacher’s development, growth areas are often more visible—lesson structure, clarity, routines. But for strong teachers, growth lives in the details—questioning, pacing, checking for understanding, responding to student thinking in real time. Those are not easy to self-identify while you’re in the middle of teaching. That’s where coaching sharpens practice.

Second, small improvements at a high level create big impact. When an effective teacher gets even better, every student they teach benefits. Those small, intentional adjustments compound over time. High performers understand this—growth doesn’t stop; it gets more precise.

Third, strong teachers don’t need broad professional development—they need targeted feedback. Whole-group PD has its place, but it often operates at a general level. Coaching is different. It is specific. It is contextual. It is directly connected to what’s happening in the classroom. That level of precision is what moves strong teaching to the next level.

Fourth, when teaching becomes automatic, it becomes harder to examine. Expertise creates efficiency, but it can also create blind spots. Coaching brings those habits back into focus, making it possible to refine what has become routine.

Fifth, every high-performing profession relies on feedback. Athletes, executives, performers—they all have coaches. Not because they lack skill, but because growth requires an outside lens. Teaching is no different. Strong instruction improves faster when someone is there to observe, analyze, and provide actionable feedback.

Sixth, even great teachers can plateau. Consistency can sometimes be mistaken for completion. But strong teaching today doesn’t mean there isn’t room to grow tomorrow. Coaching keeps the work moving forward. It challenges, stretches, and prevents stagnation.

Finally, the strongest teachers are often ready for the deepest work. Instructional coaching, at its best, goes beyond surface strategies. It gets into the core of instruction—how we model, how we question, how we manage cognitive load, how we make learning visible. Strong teachers are in the best position to engage in that level of thinking because the foundation is already there.

Let’s be clear—coaching is not only for high performers. Every teacher deserves the opportunity to grow their practice.

But we cannot afford to overlook where coaching has some of its greatest impact.

If we want to build a profession where excellence continues to grow, then instructional coaching has to be seen for what it truly is—a discipline of continuous improvement.

That’s where real growth happens.