I vividly remember my first year as a principal supervisor, managing a first-year principal in my district. Like many new leaders, she was eager to prove her capability, jumping into initiatives without a clear strategy for long-term success. In one of our early meetings, I shared a new framework for instructional leadership with her—something I had seen bring great results in similar schools. She listened intently, took notes, and nodded in agreement.
But little had changed when I returned for a follow-up visit two weeks later. The initiatives weren’t implemented, and her frustration was clear. It was a wake-up call for me: I had skipped the critical step of providing ongoing support, a common coaching mistake.
I had taught but hadn’t coached her through the challenges of applying the new concepts in real-time. I should have guided her through the necessary changes and steps for successful implementation, offering attainable milestones and providing small successes to support her progress toward the larger goal.
That moment changed how I approach coaching. I understood that teaching principals new skills or strategies is only the first step in their development. Without dedicated coaching time—where I could provide targeted feedback, encouragement, and problem-solving support—the learning would not translate into meaningful improvement. Moreover, the evaluation process needed to be spaced out, giving her time to implement, adjust, and reflect.
This experience laid the foundation for my firm belief in the importance of a structured cycle: teach, coach, and then evaluate. Giving leaders time to grow through real-world practice, while being supported in a coaching relationship, transformed this principal's leadership and also changed how I approached developing other school leaders.
Why a Coaching Cycle Matters
Robert J. Marzano's research on adult learning theory highlights the importance of coaching in leadership development. He emphasizes that adults need time to reflect on and internalize new knowledge, which occurs through structured experiences, feedback, and real-world application. The Teach-Coach-Evaluate model aligns with Marzano's assertion that learning is a process, not an event. Without repeated practice and reflection, principals struggle to incorporate new leadership strategies into daily practice.
Furthermore, Marzano underscores the value of just-in-time feedback, which mirrors the coaching phase of the Teach-Coach-Evaluate model. In this phase, leaders receive targeted guidance to address obstacles encountered during implementation and refine their approach before formal evaluation.
Teaching principals new skills or strategies is only the first step in their development.
Marzano’s The Art and Science of Teaching (ASCD, 2007) stresses that professional growth requires not only understanding new skills but applying them consistently over time. Studies by other educational researchers, like Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers, support this, showing that educators retain only 10 percent of new knowledge without follow-up coaching, but retention jumps to nearly 90 percent with coaching.
Reflective practice is also key. Marzano found that coaching enables principals to reflect on progress, make incremental improvements, and sustain growth. Research from the Wallace Foundation reinforces this, noting that when principals receive regular, structured coaching, they are more likely to make sustained improvements in instructional leadership. The study emphasized that coaching helps principals develop the self-efficacy needed to lead effectively, which is enhanced when evaluations are delayed, allowing time for coaching to take full effect.
Teach, Coach, Evaluate: Breaking Down the Steps
1. Teach
The first step in the cycle is teaching principals new leadership skills or strategies by completing a comprehensive needs assessment for change management, leadership, and content knowledge. Ensure the principal participates in this needs assessment process and reflects on areas they must improve. The principal’s manager is key in making this process accessible and comfortable. This phase provides the foundational knowledge principals need to implement change.
Teaching should be intentional and rooted in practical application, ensuring principals understand how new concepts or frameworks can directly impact their schools. For example, introducing instructional leadership practices or techniques for fostering a positive school culture equips principals with the tools to drive improvements. However, by collaborating in identifying one or two focus areas, we can ensure our teaching goes deeper while building concept mastery.
The teaching phase is not about overwhelming them with theory but rather focusing on immediately actionable strategies that address their school's unique needs.
2. Coach
Once principals are equipped with new knowledge, the real work begins with coaching. Coaching is not a one-size-fits-all approach but a personalized process where feedback and support are tailored to each principal's context.
This phase involves the principal supervisor observing the principal's work, providing real-time feedback, and troubleshooting challenges. The goal of coaching is to ensure that principals are not left to figure solutions out alone but are given continuous, immediate, and targeted support as they implement new strategies.
This ongoing relationship between the principal supervisor and the principal fosters trust and creates a safe space for them to experiment, take risks, and grow. Coaching also serves as a reflective practice, helping principals and their supervisors critically assess their decisions and adjust their approaches for better outcomes.
3. Evaluate
After the teaching and coaching phases, evaluation serves as the final step in the cycle. To ensure meaningful growth, a two- to three-week period between coaching and evaluation is optimal. This time frame gives principals the opportunity to test strategies in real-world conditions, refine their approach based on initial outcomes, and build confidence in their decisions.
By allowing this breathing room, evaluation becomes less about immediate results and more about measuring progress and identifying areas for continuous improvement. Principals benefit from a reflective cycle of trial and adjustment, while evaluators gain a more accurate picture of growth, rather than a snapshot of early efforts. This approach fosters a supportive, holistic evaluation process that prioritizes learning over judgment.
Without dedicated coaching time—with targeted feedback, encouragement, and problem-solving—learning will not translate into meaningful improvement.
A Closer Look at the Coaching Phase
The journey to strong school leadership does not happen in isolation—it thrives through active support and precise feedback. Principals, like teachers, need continuous opportunities to refine their practice, reflect on their decisions, and adjust their approach based on real-time insights. Coaching is most effective when it is immediate, actionable, and deeply connected to the daily realities of school leadership. Whether during staff meetings, instructional walkthroughs, or key decision-making moments, targeted feedback provides principals with the clarity and confidence needed to lead with impact. However, for feedback to drive real change, it must be more than just a checklist of observations—it should spark reflection, encourage risk-taking, and be delivered within a trusting relationship. Feedback, when it encourages reflection, inspires principals to think deeply about their actions, and when it encourages risk-taking, it motivates them to step out of their comfort zones and innovate.
Active Support and Feedback: Effective coaching goes beyond theory, offering principals timely, actionable feedback tailored to their immediate challenges. Observations during key moments—such as staff meetings or when implementing strategies—create opportunities for immediate reflection and improvement. Feedback must be specific: “Try framing your goals in terms of student outcomes to help connect teachers to the bigger picture.” Specific feedback encourages risk-taking by giving principals clear ideas to try out.
Furthermore, coaching should encourage reflection. Rather than always giving direct answers, coaches can ask questions like, "How do you think your team responded to that strategy?" or "What might you do differently next time?" Reflective practices help principals become more self-sufficient and solve complex challenges independently.
Building Relationships: Trust is the foundation of effective coaching. Without it, feedback can feel like criticism, leading to resistance. Building trust begins with understanding the principal’s context, goals, and challenges through open-ended questions and active listening. Empathy is key—acknowledging the pressures principals face creates a safe space for them to share vulnerabilities and take risks.
Reflection and Adjustment: Coaching is not a one-size-fits-all process. For example, if principals feel overwhelmed, scaling back strategies or offering step-by-step guidance can help. Conversely, for those making quick progress, introducing complex challenges can encourage further growth. Balancing flexibility with structure ensures coaching remains relevant and impactful, meeting principals where they are while guiding them toward their goals.
Principals, like teachers, need continuous opportunities to refine their practice, reflect, and adjust their approach.
Continuous reflection on both sides is critical to this process. Coaches should regularly check in with principals about how they feel the coaching is going and ask for feedback on the process itself. This two-way reflection helps adjust the coaching strategy and empowers principals to take ownership of their development.
Ultimately, successful coaching is a balance of flexibility and structure. While the overall framework of Teach-Coach-Evaluate remains in place, the coach's responsiveness to the principal's needs ensures that the support is both relevant and effective.
Embrace the Power of Cyclical Coaching
To truly develop effective school leaders, we must shift away from the quick-fix, one-time evaluation model and embrace the continuous improvement cycle of teaching, coaching, and evaluating leaders. By giving principals the space to learn, practice, and reflect over a period of time, we foster an environment of growth and resilience. This process strengthens individual leadership skills and creates a ripple effect that benefits teachers, students, and the entire school community.
As education leaders, let's commit to supporting our principals with consistent coaching and meaningful feedback. When we view leadership development as an ongoing process rather than a single event, we create school leaders who are not just capable but transformative.
What New Leaders Need
Whether they are principals, district administrators, or teacher leaders, new leaders face steep challenges and require specialized support.
