Guiding Growth: A Multi-Year Coaching Strategy

By William Mock

When I first stepped into this Algebra 1 teacher’s classroom four years ago, the atmosphere was tense. The desks were neatly arranged, the whiteboard was spotless, and the teacher stood at the front with a determined, yet slightly overwhelmed, expression. Her path to becoming a teacher differed from many of her colleagues; she hadn’t gone to college to become a teacher but had a passion for math she wanted to share. Despite her five years of teaching experience, this was her first time tackling a state-assessed subject like Algebra 1. Student engagement was low, test scores were concerning, and despite her best efforts, she felt like she was fighting an uphill battle.

This teacher represents a larger, common struggle that we as teacher leaders see in education - the challenge of teaching a new or daunting subject that demands a shift from prior instructional practices to new approaches. This is why NIET’s model for ensuring instructional support and structures for teacher leadership and mentorship are such essential, effective strategies for making meaningful changes in schools.

As an instructional coach who serves as both a resource for and support to teacher colleagues, I initially expected to provide quick fixes. However, I soon realized my role would be much greater. NIET’s mission resonates deeply with my purpose as a teacher leader because it places student success at the heart of everything we do. It reminds me that by investing in educators’ skills and confidence, we’re creating a ripple effect that reaches every student. This mission drives me to be an influential leader, continually advocating for best teaching practices and supporting teachers in becoming the best versions of themselves for their students. Building trust, sharing knowledge, and establishing credibility - key components to NIET’s framework for teacher leadership as described in Unleashing Teacher Leadership: A Toolkit for Ensuring Effective Instruction in Every Classroom - became the foundation of our partnership. Over the next four years, these elements guided both of us through a journey of growth and transformation.

Teacher leadership means having someone who is able to inspire, listen, and communicate, but most important is getting others to follow.

Saul Hinojosa, Former Superintendent, Somerset Independent School District. Unleashing Teacher Leadership: A Toolkit for Ensuring Effective Instruction in Every Classroom, 2024

Year 1: Building Trust and Laying the Groundwork

At the start of the year, the Algebra 1 teacher was hesitant to embrace new ideas, unsure if my support would truly help or just add to her workload. Trust was the first major obstacle to overcome if we were going to make meaningful changes for both her and her students.

I focused on listening more than advising, understanding her challenges, and meeting her where she was. Instead of imposing strategies, I encouraged her to try small changes that aligned with her teaching style.

By the end of the year, we had built a strong foundation of trust, which led to significant gains for our campus. Before I arrived, the high school pass rate for the subject of math was 44%, and after one year of working together, we achieved a 63% pass rate. This foundation of trust and collaboration set the stage for deeper instructional work in the coming years and planted seeds of leadership within my group of teachers.

Year 2: Sharing Knowledge and Embracing the Growth Mindset

With trust in place, we shifted our focus to building knowledge. One of the biggest shifts was embracing the growth mindset, not just for the Algebra 1 teacher’s students but for herself, as well. Algebra 1 can often be a challenging subject for students. The teacher had internalized some of the students’ struggles as her own failures.

Together, we focused on strategies to teach resilience and perseverance. She started leveraging mistakes as learning opportunities, modeling this mindset for her students. We incorporated formative assessments and frequent check-ins to help students track their own growth and recognize the value of persistence. Over time, she began to trust in her own ability to turn things around, and her credibility with students grew.

The feedback I provided played a crucial role in building her confidence during this process. She regularly brought me samples of student work, and together, we analyzed where students were excelling and where they struggled. For example, we noticed that students were consistently making errors in solving multi-step equations. After analyzing their work, we realized they struggled with combining like terms and inverse operations, a foundational skill.

I provided feedback that focused not only on the instructional strategies but also on the way she framed mistakes for her students. I encouraged her to celebrate the process of learning through mistakes and use it as a teaching tool. She responded by adjusting her instruction to spend more time on prerequisite skills before diving into more complex material. This targeted feedback helped to refine her approach and gave her a clearer understanding of how to meet students’ needs more effectively.

Mistakes weren’t limited to the students. The Algebra 1 teacher made a few missteps in pacing lessons early on, which left some students feeling rushed and others lagging behind. After reflecting on this, we worked together to adjust the pacing, allowing for more time to revisit difficult concepts and integrate more student-driven activities. This process of trial, reflection, and adjustment is what ultimately solidified the teacher’s confidence and improved her effectiveness in the classroom.

By the end of year 2, the Algebra 1 teacher saw more consistent class active engagement in learning. Early indicators from formative assessments showed that students were beginning to grasp key Algebra 1 concepts more deeply. The scores steadily improved, and by the end of the year, we achieved a pass rate of 72%.

Year 3: Leveraging Credibility through Data-Driven Instruction

With trust and knowledge in place, Year 3 was all about leveraging data to drive instruction. The Algebra 1 teacher had begun to believe in her capacity to transform student outcomes, and now we needed the data to guide our next steps. We dug into test scores and formative assessments to understand exactly where students were struggling.

Using this data, we tailored instruction to target specific areas of need. For example, when we noticed that a majority of the students struggled with linear equations, we revisited her instructional strategies in that area. She began differentiating instruction, using small group instruction for students who needed extra support and providing enrichment opportunities for those who were ready for more advanced content.

The impact was clear. By the end of the year, 81% of her students were passing their state assessment. The data-driven approach not only improved student outcomes by focusing on specific student needs but also enhanced her credibility within the math department. She became a teacher who others looked to for guidance on using data to inform instruction.

Year 4: Mastery, Mentorship, and Leadership

In our fourth year, the Algebra 1 teacher had truly come into her own as a teacher. She had mastered the art of breaking down complex concepts into manageable parts, and her students were reaping the benefits.

What was especially powerful was that she began to notice the questions other math teachers were asking her were the same questions I had posed to her. She started informally mentoring these teachers, sharing her journey, and offering strategies that had worked for her. It was in these moments that I saw the seeds of leadership take root. The advice and guidance she offered were often the very same feedback I had once given her during our early years working together, now adapted and personalized to fit the needs of her colleagues.

I noticed the teacher becoming self-sufficient no longer relying on me for guidance, but rather using the skills and tools we had worked on together to troubleshoot, reflect, and adjust her own instruction. I suggested she apply for a formal mentor teacher position, not because I saw it as the next step, but because she had already begun to serve as a teacher leader organically. She was ready.

Stepping into leadership often means balancing instructional duties with new responsibilities, navigating relationships, and learning how to influence without formal authority. NIET supports teachers in this transition by offering targeted professional development, one-on-one coaching, and a structured framework for feedback that includes actionable steps. These resources help teacher leaders, like the teacher I worked with, build confidence, hone their skills, and tackle challenges effectively, ensuring they can make a positive impact without feeling overwhelmed.

The most effective teacher leaders focus on building the capacity of others while also sharing their instructional expertise to ensure that all students have the opportunity to achieve.

Dr. Joshua Barnett, Unleashing Teacher Leadership: A Toolkit for Ensuring Effective Instruction in Every Classroom, 2024

The formal mentoring role allowed the teacher to extend her impact beyond her own students and contribute to the overall growth of the math department. This shift had a ripple effect: thanks to leadership and collaboration across the department, we saw continued improvement in student performance. By the end of the year, 94% of her students passed their state assessment, a testament to the effectiveness of her teaching and the power of mentorship in cultivating excellence across the board.

The Power of Trust, Knowledge, and Credibility in Effective Leadership

This Algebra 1 teacher’s story is a testament to the power of trust, knowledge, and credibility not just in the classroom, but in educational leadership. Reflecting on this journey, I can see how my experiences with this Algebra 1 teacher have shaped my role as a teacher leader. Through my work with NIET, I’ve developed a deeper understanding of how to support teachers effectively, particularly when it comes to using data to guide instruction and encouraging a growth mindset. In particular, as a NIET Fellow, I have enhanced my ability to provide the kind of sustained, meaningful support that teachers need to grow and succeed.

The intentional instructional support provided to the Algebra 1 teacher through these four years demonstrated the critical role that instructional leadership plays in increasing teacher effectiveness and retention. This teacher could have easily become disheartened and left the profession early on, but with intentionally designed and differentiated support, she grew into a confident, capable educator who now mentors others. Her journey is so reflective of the success story we all strive for in our profession: the opportunity to support an educator who is new to a subject and doesn’t know where to start, and the journey of helping them transform into a leader. It serves as the core of what teacher leadership can truly do throughout not one or two, but many years in a system of support. Her story is a reminder that leadership is not about quick fixes, it's about fostering long-term growth that benefits both teachers and their students.