The 9 Most Powerful Instructional Coach Interview Questions

Have you recently landed an instructional coach interview?  Congrats!  You have proven to be a leader in teaching & learning and now have the opportunity to impact even more students and teachers.  Preparing for this interview can be intimidating and overwhelming as you start to see yourself more as a teacher coach and less as a classroom teacher.  Put the time in now to prepare for the interview with these key instructional coach interview questions so you can walk into that room feeling confident and radiating excitement.  Be sure to read about the ONE thing to make sure you avoid.  It is an amazing profession that I feel honored to call my life’s work.

Key Instructional Coach Interview Questions

1. What are some aspects of an effective coaching conversation?
2. What impact does data have on your role as a coach?
3. How would you build relationships and trust with teachers?
4. Why do you want to be a coach?
5. What do you see as your daily duties and responsibilities as a coach?
6. Have you ever received “push back” from a teacher? How did you overcome it?
7. What leadership positions have you held, or professional development sessions you have lead?
8. From what you know about our school/district, what would be a primary area of focus for our teachers this coming year?
9. How do you see the relationship between principal and instructional coach?

How Do You Prepare for an Instructional Coach Interview?

• Step 1: Understand what instructional coaching is and what it is NOT.  Read all about that here.
• Step 2: Do your research!  If you are new to instructional coaching check out some research articles/books to better understand the profession.  I have linked my favorites at the bottom of this page.

• Step 3:  Get clear on how you see yourself in the role and the qualities you possess that would make you a great coach.

• Step 4:  Talk it through with someone who knows you professionally- they may have insights into your talents that you are not even aware of.  Better yet talk to a current instructional coach to get a behind the scenes look into this world.

Are you looking for someone to coach you through this process?  Send me an email theelementarymathcoach@gmail.com and let’s chat!

The One Major Thing to Avoid in the Instructional Coach Interview

After sitting through dozens of instructional coach interviews, there is one common thing that comes up where once the candidate leaves it is a fairly quick “no” from leadership.  Most of us couldn’t articulate exactly what it was in the moment, but more of a feeling that showed up time and time again.  It is a mixture of arrogance, dominating conversation, and the strong desire to leave the classroom.  The confidence you have in your abilities is a positive trait, but when you start thinking of yourself as a coach you need to shift from “I’m the expert” to let’s work together to solve this problem.  It can sometimes be subtle differences, but it is usually pretty obvious if that person is there to collaborate and help teachers or be over and in charge of teachers.

Let me be clear that when I transitioned from classroom teacher to instructional coach, leaving the classroom was appealing to me.  I loved teaching 4th grade math, I was in my groove, but I was also longing to have a larger impact than the 4 walls of my classroom.  It is OKAY to feel this way.  It is also okay to be so burned out from teaching that you are googling what else to do with a teaching degree.  We have all been there.  But my advice would be to stay clear of those sentiments in this interview.  I remember thinking after one interview, “does she want this job or is she just desperate to get out of the classroom?”

Next Steps

It is still best practice to follow up after your interview within a day or two to thank all involved in the interview process.  If you feel like there is something you left out during your interview you can add it briefly in this follow up message as well.  Finally, I want to share something my dad once said to me before an interview.  It is just as much about you interviewing them as them interviewing you!  It has to be a good fit for ALL involved.  If something feels off for you from this first interaction, trust your gut and trust that you will find the best fit out there.  You deserve that!

Research Articles and Books on Instructional Coaching

Jim Knight – The Impact Cycle

Elena Aguilar – The Art of Coaching Teams

5 Relationship-Building Tips for Instructional Coaches

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Are you a teacher leader wanting to shift your staff’s mindset about math?  Download my FREE Math Attitude Survey below. Included in the download is a student version and a teacher version perfect for your next professional development!

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