The EduCoach Survival Guide: Tips. Tools. Inspiration. And an occasional escape hatch.

By Angela Scotto Harkness and Lindsay Deacon

Coaching isn't always smooth sailing, and this book doesn't pretend it is.

Used by thousands of K-12 coaches, teacher leaders, and instructional leaders across the USA and in international schools worldwide. With a foreword by Jim Knight.

You're doing your best to support teachers, but the job of an instructional coach is rarely straightforward. Have you ever missed an observation because you were pulled in to substitute teach? Been asked to "fix" a struggling teacher? Had a teacher who cancels every meeting? Or worked in a school where even your principal isn't sure what your job is?

You are not alone

The EduCoach Survival Guide is an on-the-fly reference for instructional coaches, with 58 real-life scenarios for the moments when coaching goes sideways. Unlike books that describe what coaching should look like, this guide helps you decide what to do next, when you need an answer fast.

How each scenario works

Every scenario opens with a short story from a real school, then walks you through:

Questions to Consider to help you diagnose what's really going onPlan A, Plan B, and Plan C: three different approaches, each with step-by-step moves you can try tomorrowWorst Case Scenario, for when the strategies aren't workingFactors for Success and Pitfalls to keep you on trackRead This and Watch This: curated articles and videos from leading coaching voices

58 scenarios across four chapters, including:

The Coach

You're new and need to build relationships and credibility fastYou've been assigned to "fix" a teacherYou're stuck in "the friend zone"You're on the edge of burnout

The Teachers

Teachers don't understand the role of coachA teacher chronically cancels meetings at the last minuteA teacher is resistant to changeA teacher is too dependent on the coach

The Principal

The principal isn't clear on the coach's roleThe principal has "shiny object syndrome"The principal asks for confidential details about teachers

Teams

Team members don't get alongTeachers don't see a reason to meet togetherThe same people are always in charge

Plus 14 ready-to-use tools, including coach/teacher and principal/coach partnership agreements, coaching question stems, a coaching conversation planning tool, and a peer observation tool, along with a glossary of coaching terminology.

Who it's for: new and first-year instructional coaches, experienced coaches in a tough season, literacy and math coaches, and coaches juggling part-time or hybrid roles. It's also a go-to for principals and district leaders who support coaches, and it works well for coaching team book studies and new-coach onboarding.

About the authors

Lindsay Deacon is an instructional coach, author, and speaker who coaches educators and school leaders every day, with more than a decade of experience coaching principals and district leaders. She trained under Jim Knight, worked with John Hattie's Visible Learning team at Corwin, held a global leadership role at NWEA, and holds administrator certification in two states.

Angela Scotto Harkness is an instructional coach and systems leader with 20 years in education across five schools and three districts. She holds a Master's in Education with a Reading endorsement from the University of Portland and an ESOL endorsement from Portland State University.

Presenting PD to teachers? Pair this book with The Presenter Survival Guide: Tips, tools, and a compass for leading adult learning without losing your way (or your mind).

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0C9S86Q48
• ISBN13: 9798377187356
• Release Date: July 2023
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 382 Pages
• Weight: 1.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.0" x 10.0"