Questions to Consider Before Becoming an Instructional Coach

Oakland, Calif., school improvement coach Elena Aguilar asks would-be instructional coaches to consider several questions before making the career move to coaching:

• Do you love working with adults?
• Do you know how to intrinsically motivate adults?
• Are you well-versed in how adults learn?
• Can you structure what may be loosely defined roles and responsibilities?

In October 2011, Educational Leadership will focus an entire issue on "Coaching: The New Leadership Skill." Meanwhile, you can check out these hits from the EL archives:

• "How Teachers Learn" (February 2009) 
• "Revisiting Teacher Learning" (June 2009 online issue), including "Brain-Friendly Learning for Teachers"

 What advice would you give to those considering a career in instructional coaching?