Barb Flowers:
Welcome to The Principal’s Handbook—your go-to resource for principals looking to revamp their leadership approach and prioritize self-care. I’m Barb Flowers, a certified life coach with eight years of experience as an elementary principal. Tune in each week as we dive into strategies for boosting mental resilience, managing time effectively, and nurturing overall wellness.

From tackling daily challenges to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, this podcast is all about helping you thrive as a school leader. Let’s navigate the complexities of leadership together, reignite your passion for the job, and prioritize your well-being.

I’m thrilled to welcome today’s guest, Karen Johannesson Brock, a seasoned educator with over three decades of experience. Karen has worked with hundreds of schools and districts to implement instructional coaching, professional learning plans, and school improvement strategies. She holds undergraduate degrees in special education and elementary education, a master’s in school leadership from Brigham Young University, and both a master’s and doctorate in Educational Research Methods from Oxford University.

She’s also the author of Coaching for Multilingual Student Success: Intentional Practices to Accelerate Learning and Close Achievement Gaps—which we’ll be discussing today.

Karen, thank you so much for being here!

Karen Brock:
Thank you for having me! I always enjoy talking with school leaders about how we can better support teachers. I’m excited for this conversation.

Barb:
Let’s start with instructional coaching. Your book is such a powerful resource for how adult learning and coaching should look. What drew you to this work, and why is it so important?

Karen:
Great question. I first came across research from Joyce and Showers in the late ‘90s, and it really changed how I thought about professional development. Their work—still relevant today—examines how much of what teachers learn in PD is actually implemented in the classroom.

Their findings are striking. If a teacher just hears about a strategy, very little of it shows up in practice. Add modeling and you improve knowledge. Add practice and the impact grows. But when you add coaching? Implementation skyrockets—up to 95%.

One example from my own experience: We introduced a phonics and phonemic awareness program across K–3. Each teacher had a coach model the lessons for a week. The next week, the coach co-taught. By the third week, the coach provided feedback, and we brought in principals to help them understand how to observe and support the program. This helped everyone—not just teachers, but leaders—develop clarity and confidence.

Barb:
I love that. We recently brought on an instructional coach to support structured literacy and it’s been a game changer—not just for teachers, but for me as a leader. She helps me understand what to look for and how to support best practices. And yes, principals need to be part of the PD process too!

Karen:
Absolutely. And I want to emphasize—coaching isn’t about being an expert who takes over. It’s a skilled peer who supports the teacher’s goals. It’s built on partnership. Ideally, it’s tied directly to your school improvement plan so that coaching supports shared goals, not just individual interests.

We create a coaching menu based on our goals—strategies, programs, etc.—so teachers can choose how they want to engage. When teachers feel supported in their specific context, implementation becomes both doable and meaningful.

Barb:
Yes! I always say our PD should reflect what we define as good teaching—and that includes scaffolding, modeling, and gradual release. But too often, we don’t apply those principles to adult learning.

Karen:
Exactly. Doug Fisher talks about this in terms of “I do, we do, you do,” but he also emphasizes “we do together.” That cooperative learning element is where coaching fits in. It helps transfer PD from theory to actual classroom practice. In one of our coaching cycles, we reached 95% implementation in 250 classrooms in just a couple of months.

Barb:
That’s incredible! And your book highlights how coaching supports multilingual learners. Can you talk more about that?

Karen:
Definitely. Most teachers only receive around 30 hours of training over their careers on working with multilingual students—that’s just not enough. Around 70–75% report feeling unprepared.

This is where coaching becomes critical. It helps teachers apply what they’re learning about the Science of Reading in ways that are inclusive of multilingual learners. If a classroom already uses strong evidence-based practices, supporting multilingual students is about thoughtful tweaks—not complete overhauls.

We focus on routines that build background knowledge, engage in close reading, encourage dialogue, and end with writing. That four-step process—adapted from Dr. Margarita Calderon’s research—is highly effective and benefits all students, not just multilingual learners.

Barb:
Yes! I’ve seen firsthand how this helps with confidence. My teachers often worry if they’re doing enough for multilingual students, but having a process helps. It supports language development throughout the day—not just during EL pullout.

Karen:
Exactly. For students to close the achievement gap, they need to learn 10–12 new words a day, read or listen to rich texts multiple times a day, and regularly engage in structured speaking and writing. Coaching helps make that happen.

Barb:
Let’s shift to how principals can best use instructional coaches. And what should they do if teachers resist?

Karen:
Start by tying coaching to your professional development plan, which should be rooted in your student data. From there, create a coaching menu and assign an implementation task at the end of each PD session.

This isn’t about singling out struggling teachers. Everyone gets coaching. The expert teachers often get the most out of it because they’re eager to try new things. But giving teachers choice in how they use the coach helps with buy-in.

Barb:
Totally agree. Coaching accelerates growth like nothing else. And even with teacher growth plans, I notice those that involve a coach are far more impactful.

Karen:
There’s research showing that coaching can move your practice forward the equivalent of five years. Once teachers experience the benefit, they want more. The goal is to normalize coaching—not as a fix, but as a support for everyone.

Barb:
That brings me to something you mentioned: coaching light vs. coaching heavy. Can you explain that?

Karen:
Sure! Joellen Killian’s article “Coaching Heavy, Coaching Light” is a must-read. Coaching light is more about relationship-building with little focus on implementation. Coaching heavy is goal-oriented and focused on measurable outcomes.

Every coaching cycle should begin with a goal. Then you track progress over time—usually over six weeks. That’s when you see real change. And building trust doesn’t require months—it happens when teachers see that a coach helps them succeed.

Barb:
So helpful. Last question: What if a principal doesn’t have a coach in the building? What can they do?

Karen:
Start with peer coaching. Partner teachers up with an implementation goal. Provide planning time and coverage, even if it’s just a block a month. Use data to guide your goals, and ensure everyone is working on implementation—not just planning.

Even without a formal coach, if everyone has a partner and a shared plan, you’re laying the foundation for a coaching culture.

Barb:
I love that! We do something similar for math, where a strong teacher models lessons. And your book has such great guidance for how to advocate for coaching and structure your PD plans. It’s a fantastic resource for principals.

Karen:
Thank you! One surprising outcome of implementing coaching is the boost in morale. Teachers feel more confident, supported, and excited to teach again. It brings energy back to the school.

Barb:
That’s the perfect note to end on. Thank you, Karen, for sharing your expertise. Again, her book is Coaching for Multilingual Student Success. If you’re looking to strengthen your PD plans and better support your teachers and students—especially multilingual learners—this book is a must-read.

Thanks for being with us today!

Karen:
Thank you so much. It’s been a pleasure.