As a former principal, I often found myself in classrooms observing subjects I had never taught. One of those was science. I remember walking into a 7th-grade science class, computer in hand, fully aware that I couldn’t explain the function of cells or articulate the difference between covalent and ionic bonds off the top of my head. But that didn’t stop me from coaching the teacher effectively because my goal wasn’t to reteach the content.
During a post-observation conversation with that science teacher, I didn’t begin with critiques or corrections. Instead, I facilitated a reflective conversation because ultimately, the most powerful professional growth happens when teachers learn to reflect deeply on their own practice.
My goal was to support the teacher in reflecting on their instructional impact and increasing student engagement in rigorous learning. I wanted to build a teacher’s internal capacity to assess what’s working, identify what’s not, and adjust instruction accordingly especially when no one else is in the room.
Reflection > Answers
Effective coaching doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from helping educators ask the right questions. When a teacher is guided through a reflective process and encouraged to develop their own solutions, they become more confident, more adaptable, and more empowered to respond to student needs in real time. They own their growth.
One of the most productive entry points into that reflective process is student engagement. A few examples of useful coaching questions include:
- “What were you hoping students would know or be able to do by the end of this lesson?”
- “What would that look like in action?”
- “How did you know students were engaged—or disengaged?”
- “What did you notice about who was participating and who wasn’t?”
- “What might you try differently next time to bring in more voices?”
These open-ended questions center the focus on students not just teacher actions. I use my questions to help the teacher comprehend the importance of the topic, articulate relevance, clearly define what they hoped to achieve by the end of the period, determine whether that vision was realized, and problem-solve if it wasn’t. These questions improve teachers’ thinking around student engagement.
Essentially, they shift the conversation from what was taught to what was learned, and create opportunities to explore strategies such as structured group discussions, modeling, and scaffolding to support students in accessing complex texts or concepts.
It’s Not About Ignoring Content—It’s About Balancing the Lens
Administrators don’t need to abandon content knowledge; they just need to balance it with a lens focused on instructional clarity and student thinking. Universal elements of strong instruction such as clearly stated learning goals, alignment between tasks and objectives, student talk, checks for understanding, and visible engagement—transcend any one subject.
Make Coaching the Culture
These kinds of reflective conversations shouldn’t be one-offs. Regular classroom visits and ongoing coaching sessions are what build trust, deepen conversations, and create a coaching culture. When coaching is consistent and collaborative not sporadic or evaluative teachers are more likely to engage openly, think critically, and take ownership of their improvement.
When teachers understand that your role is not to “catch” them but to think alongside them, everything shifts. The dynamic becomes supportive rather than judgmental, and your presence becomes an asset rather than a stressor.
You don’t have to be a science teacher to coach science, or a math teacher to coach math. You don’t need to solve every problem for the teacher. What you do need is curiosity, empathy, and a strong commitment to student learning.
So the next time you sit down for a post-observation conversation, leave your “expert” hat at the door and pick up the role of a reflective thinking partner instead.