After many years of coaching teachers, I have learned that a good planning conversation does not automatically lead to strong implementation. I have sat with teachers in planning meetings where everything seemed clear. We had talked through the strategy, named the purpose, discussed what students would be doing, what the teacher would be looking for, and how the lesson could unfold. In the conversation, it all made sense. The teacher was on board and the next step felt clear.
AND THEN… the lesson happened.
Somewhere between the plan and the instructional execution, the teacher got stuck because teaching is LIVE and standing in front of the students the lesson happens fast. It is full of decisions that must be made in the moment and many times the strategy can make complete sense in a coaching conversation and still feel hard to carry out when students are sitting in front of you, looking back at you, and waiting for you to lead. (P.S. This is why I promote and encourage coaches to allow teachers to plan AND practice BEFORE teaching the lesson to students.)
I remember one teacher telling me after a lesson, “I understood it when we talked about it. But when I got in it, I could not quite see what I was supposed to do next.”
Many times, teachers do not need more talk. They need a clearer picture of what the move looks like inside the lesson with students.
What does it mean for a coach to model a strategy?
Modeling is when a coach demonstrates a specific instructional strategy during live instruction so the teacher can see what the move looks like with students in the room. It takes the strategy out of theory and places it inside the lesson, where the teacher can watch it unfold in the middle of live instructional decision making.
Many strategies make sense during planning. A teacher may understand the purpose, agree that it will support student learning, and even explain the steps back. But instruction moves quickly. Once students are in front of them, the teacher must think about pacing, transitions, responses, behavior, and what to say next, and what felt clear in planning can suddenly feel much harder to carry out. Modeling closes that gap because the teacher sees how the strategy begins, how it sounds, how it is managed, and how it keeps moving when the lesson is live.
Modeling can happen in many parts of a lesson. A coach might model how to launch a strategy, how to guide students through discussion, how to run a small group routine, or how to use a formative check. It does not always require the coach to take over an entire lesson. Often, modeling one small part of instruction is more useful because the teacher can focus on the exact move they need to see and later try.
Timing counts too. Modeling should never be the first response every time a teacher feels unsure. It is most helpful after the strategy has been discussed and the teacher understands its purpose: when they understand it but struggle to implement it, when it is new, when they are hesitant about trying it, or when they are already using it and need support refining how it looks in practice.
Modeling also has to be understood for what it is not. It is not the coach rescuing the lesson, showing how well they can teach, or replacing teacher action. The purpose is to make the move visible so the teacher can understand it, reflect on it, and then try it in their own practice.
Why modeling is the bridge between conversation and implementation
Modeling is the bridge between conversation and teacher implementation, never the final step in coaching. The outcome that counts is that the teacher is now prepared to try the strategy themselves.
After modeling, teachers should leave with a clearer picture of what the strategy looks like, how it sounds, and how it unfolds, and that picture becomes the mental model they use as they begin implementing. The conversation provided understanding. Modeling provided clarity. The next step is teacher implementation.
When teachers try the strategy after modeling, they begin to make the move their own. It may not look exactly the same, and that is expected. Teachers adapt it to their style, their students, and their routines, and ownership develops as they implement it themselves. Then reflection becomes critical: what worked, what felt challenging, and what adjustments may strengthen the strategy.
Over time, teachers move from conversation, to modeling, to implementation, to refinement, and strategies become part of everyday instruction in place of isolated coaching experiences. Students experience clearer expectations and stronger engagement.
How do you model a strategy so it leads to teacher action?
Modeling sits inside a Coaching Sprint (coaching cycle), where you and the teacher identify one goal and one strategy. Before the coach steps in front of students, the teacher knows exactly what to watch for and has a simple T chart ready, students on the left and coach on the right. After the model, the two of you reflect and plan when the teacher will try it.
- 1Clarify the strategy
- 2Identify the focus
- 3Model the strategy
- 4Reflect together
- 5Plan teacher implementation
- The full steps, the tool, and the Reflect and Apply prompts are in the PDF.Get the download
Want the Sprint template and the video walkthrough for this strategy? They're in the Hub.
Modeling is never stepping in for the teacher
Think about one teacher you are supporting right now, and ask whether modeling would give them a stronger picture of what the strategy looks like in action. Modeling helps teachers move from understanding to implementation, and the work is finished only when the teacher tries the move themselves.
Questions people ask
When should an instructional coach model a strategy?
Model after the strategy has been discussed and the teacher understands its purpose, when they understand it but struggle to implement it, when it is new, when they are hesitant to try it, or when they are using it and need help refining it. Modeling should never be the first response every time a teacher feels unsure.
What is the purpose of a coach modeling in a classroom?
To make one instructional move visible so the teacher can see how it begins, how it sounds, how it is managed, and how the lesson keeps moving. The outcome is a teacher who is prepared to try the strategy themselves, with a plan for when and how.
Does the coach have to teach the whole lesson when modeling?
No. In many cases modeling one small part of instruction is more useful, because it helps the teacher focus on the exact move they need to see and later try. The coach can model a launch, a discussion routine, a small group, or a formative check in the middle of the lesson.