Instructional Coaching Essentials - by Chris Amirault (Paperback)

About the Book

Instructional Coaching Essentials: Partnerships, Principles, and Practices is a foundational professional resource for PreK-12 instructional coaches, administrators, and leadership teams. Written by veteran educator and leadership coach Dr. Chris Amirault, this research-informed guide demystifies instructional coaching through a flexible, model-neutral approach. Grounded in adult learning science, equity-centered practice, and real-world coaching realities, the book provides adaptable tools, reflection prompts, and strategies that work across grade levels, content areas, and coaching systems. Accessible for individual coaches who want to improve their practice and ideal for district PD, coaching programs, and higher education coursework, this title fills a critical gap in today's professional learning landscape.

Book Synopsis

Build meaningful, effective instructional coaching relationships that lead to improved teaching and learning

Instructional Coaching Essentials: Partnerships, Principles, and Practices helps educators build stronger partnerships, navigate systemic constraints, and create coaching experiences that truly support teaching and learning. Rather than promoting a single coaching model, this professional resource takes a flexible, research-informed approach that helps educators adapt their practice to the systems they work in.

Grounded in adult learning science, motivation research, and equity-centered coaching, the book explores what makes coaching effective--and what often undermines it. Educational leader Chris Amirault addresses common challenges such as role confusion between coaching and supervision, power dynamics, limited time and space, and the emotional labor of coaching adults. Reflection prompts and real-world examples encourage readers to examine their own assumptions, principles, and coaching identities. This book:

• Introduces foundational principles of instructional coaching
• Explores how adults learn, change, and stay motivated
• Provides adaptable tools for before-, during-, and after-session coaching work
• Supports equitable, relationship-centered coaching practices

Perfect for instructional coaches and instructional coaching programs, as well as PLCs, school leaders, and higher education settings, Instructional Coaching Essentials provides the tools needed to coach effectively across diverse educational contexts.

Review Quotes

"Chris Amirault asks the questions that coaching books usually skip: not just what to do, but why coaching works, and why you chose to do this work in the first place. Grounded in brain science and adult learning research, Instructional Coaching Essentials offers a flexible, reflective framework that coaches can apply across any model or context. This nuanced and practical guide reminds us that meaningful coaching begins with knowing yourself, building strong relationships, and continuously refining your craft."--Sebastian Puccio, Ed.D., author, educational consultant, former principal

About the Author

Chris Amirault, Ph.D., served for two decades as the director of NAEYC-accredited Early Head Start, preschool, and state PK programs in RI and OK. He was president for several years of the Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children and has also served in many national leadership capacities, including as Chair of the Council for NAEYC Accreditation, a member of the NAEYC Affiliate Advisory Council, a founding facilitator of NAEYC's Diversity & Equity Interest Forum, and on the NAEYC working groups for developmentally appropriate practice and equity. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in early childhood education at Brown University, the Community College of Rhode Island, the University of Oklahoma, and elsewhere, and he served as Director of the Institute for Elementary and Secondary Education at Brown. Chris is the author of Instructional Coaching Essentials, Sparking Learning in Young Children, and coauthor of Finding Your Way Through Conflict, and he has published articles in several early childhood journals and presented many times at state and national early childhood conferences. He has a Ph.D. in cultural studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and lives in Salem, OR.