As a high school English teacher, former instructional coach, and now as a district instructional support leader, I’ve come to understand that the mentoring I once relied on is the same coaching I try to give others. My experience stepping into instructional coaching was part of a larger story that was playing out in schools. Nearly 60 percent of public schools have at least one instructional coach, though in many places, the role is underfunded, temporary or narrowly defined. Finding the RhythmIn time, I began to ask myself a question that became my compass as an instructional coach: What would I need if I were being coached? That’s the coach I try to be now: encouraging and willing to step in when the work gets messy.