Why it works
Resistance to coaching is common and usually has an understandable cause: a bad past experience, feeling judged, being overwhelmed, or not seeing the value. Research on coaching finds that pushing against resistance deepens it, while building a trusting relationship, understanding the teacher's perspective, and starting from something the teacher genuinely cares about or struggles with opens the door. Coaching is partnership, not compliance.
The research: Research on instructional coaching (Knight and others).
The run-of-show
Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.
The core activity: plan to coach a reluctant teacher
Coaches leave with an understanding of the resistance and a genuine entry point.
- Pick a reluctant or resistant teacher.
- Work out the likely why behind the resistance: past experience, feeling judged, overload, not seeing value.
- Plan how you build trust and understand their perspective.
- Find a small, genuine entry point they actually want help with.
Facilitator notes
- Understand the resistance, and build trust.
- Do not push; start small from what they value.
- It is partnership, not compliance.
Adapt it
- <b>All coaches and leaders:</b> the same.
- <b>All settings:</b> understand, build trust, small genuine entry point.
Participant handout
One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.
Coaching Resistant Teachers: partnership, not pressure
<b>Move the resistance:</b> understand the why, build trust, and start from a genuine entry point.
- The reluctant teacher:
- The likely why behind the resistance:
- How I build trust and understand their perspective:
- A small, genuine entry point:
- How I demonstrate usefulness without pressure:
Make it stick
Understand and partner:
- Understand the why.
- Build trust first.
- Bring a reluctant teacher who opened up to the leadership team.