Building a Common Language for Facilitating Coaching Conversations
This framework was developed based on the original Coaching Moves Framework introduced in the paper Parsing Coaching Practice: A Systematic Framework for Describing Coaching Discourse. It is designed to provide instructional coaching leads with a practical guide for using the Coaching Moves Framework to support their coaches.
Coaching is a powerful lever for professional growth, but what exactly makes coaching effective? The Coaching Moves Framework brings clarity to this question by synthesizing existing coaching research into a structured taxonomy of coaching moves. This framework highlights the diverse facilitation strategies coaches may employ, offering a shared lens and language for refining coaching practice.
Just as established frameworks for teaching practice help teachers reflect, grow, and receive targeted feedback, the Coaching Moves Framework serves as a guiding tool for coaches. It provides a structured approach for coach self-reflection, peer learning, and programmatic feedback, ultimately strengthening coaching effectiveness across diverse educational and professional settings.
Beyond individual growth, the Coaching Moves Framework enables coaching programs to track trends over time, identifying patterns in coaching strategies and their impact. By leveraging this framework, organizations can ensure consistency in coaching quality, foster continuous improvement, and drive meaningful change.
Explore the Coaching Moves Framework and discover how it can elevate coaching practice, enhance professional learning, and contribute to long-term success.
In the Coaching Moves Framework, specific moves are identified by the intersection of the following five dimensions:
- Stance – is the coach sharing information by providing a statement or eliciting it from the teacher in the form of a question?
- Perspective – is the coach’s question or statement focused on discussing prior events or planning for the future?
- Object – who or what is the focus of the question or statement?
- Function – what kind of analysis does the question or statement involve?
- Tone – what is the emotional tenor that accompanies the statement or question?
