Strategies for Building Trust for Instructional Coaching

Jeff Bradbury is an author, podcaster, public speaker, creator of the TeacherCast Educational Network and father of the world famous #EduTriplets.

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Here’s what I’ve learned after years in education: You can have the best coaching frameworks, the most research-backed strategies, and a filing cabinet full of professional development materials, but none of it matters if teachers don’t trust you. Trust isn’t the cherry on top of effective coaching—it’s the entire foundation.

The Vulnerability Factor

Think about what we’re really asking teachers to do. Every day, they’re managing 25-30 unique personalities, making split-second instructional decisions, differentiating for diverse learners, and somehow finding time to grade papers and answer parent emails. Their classroom is their domain, the place where they’ve developed their craft over years of practice.

Now imagine someone asking to observe that practice, offer feedback, and suggest changes. That’s an incredibly vulnerable position. Without trust, that invitation feels like a threat. With trust, it becomes an opportunity.

I remember one teacher who initially kept me at arm’s length. She’d smile politely when I visited her classroom but never took me up on coaching offers. It took nearly a semester of just being present—showing up consistently, celebrating what I saw working, and never pushing—before she finally asked, “Could you help me think through my guided reading groups?” That moment didn’t happen because I used the right protocol or said the perfect thing. It happened because she finally trusted that I was there to support, not evaluate.

The Three Non-Negotiables of Trust

Over the years, I’ve identified three elements that absolutely cannot be compromised if you want teachers to trust you:

Show Up as a Partner, Not an Expert

The fastest way to lose a teacher is to position yourself as the one with all the answers. Yes, you bring expertise, but so do they. The best coaching conversations I’ve had started with genuine curiosity: “Tell me what you’re seeing with this group of students” or “What’s your thinking behind this approach?”

When teachers realize you value their professional judgment and want to co-create solutions rather than prescribe fixes, the entire dynamic shifts. Suddenly you’re working together rather than positioning yourself above them.

Be Someone Teachers Can Count On

This sounds simple, but consistency is make-or-break. If you say you’ll send resources, send them. If you schedule a meeting, protect that time fiercely. If you promise to visit a classroom, show up.

I learned this the hard way early in my coaching career. I got pulled into an administrative meeting and missed a planned coaching session. I thought it wasn’t a big deal—we could reschedule. But that teacher never rescheduled. The message I’d inadvertently sent was that my time was more valuable than hers. It took months to rebuild that relationship.

Now, I’m religious about honoring commitments. I also set clear structures for our work together: where we’ll meet, how long sessions will last, what we’ll focus on. Teachers have told me this predictability helps them engage fully because they’re not wondering if their time will be wasted.

Guard Confidentiality Like Your Career Depends on It

Because it does. The moment a teacher hears that something they shared in confidence made its way to an administrator or another colleague, you’re done. Not just with that teacher—with every teacher in the building.

I’m explicit about this from day one: “Everything we discuss stays between us unless you decide to share it.” I hold coaching meetings in private spaces. I use “do not disturb” signs. When administrators ask me about specific teachers, I redirect: “You should ask them directly about their work—I’m here to support, not report.”

This doesn’t mean withholding important information if there’s a safety concern, but that’s a completely different situation. For the everyday work of coaching, teachers need to know they can share their real struggles without consequence.

What Trust-Building Actually Looks Like Day-to-Day

Beyond these foundational elements, here’s what I’ve found actually builds relationships in the daily grind of school life:

Be Where Teachers Are

You can’t build relationships from your office. I make it a point to be in hallways between classes, grab coffee in the staff lounge, and linger after faculty meetings. These aren’t wasted minutes—they’re investments. Teachers are much more likely to approach you for coaching when they see you regularly and know you’re accessible.

One year, I started eating lunch in the staff lounge twice a week instead of at my desk. The difference was remarkable. Teachers started asking quick questions that turned into deeper conversations later. They learned I was a real person who also struggled with meal planning and binge-watched shows on weekends. That humanization mattered.

Notice and Name the Good

Most teachers are drowning in feedback about what’s not working. Be the person who notices what is. When I see a teacher having a great interaction with a struggling student, I tell them. When someone tries a new strategy, even if it’s imperfect, I acknowledge the risk-taking.

I keep a running note on my phone of positive things I observe, and I try to send at least three specific, genuine emails of appreciation each week. Sometimes I copy administrators on these—not to show off, but to make sure teachers get credit where it’s due.

Make Every Classroom Visit Count

When working with teachers, I prefer brief, frequent classroom visits—usually 10-15 minutes. The goal isn’t evaluation; it’s understanding. What are students actually learning? Where are the gaps? How can I support this teacher’s goals?

These short visits feel less intrusive than long observations, and they give me authentic context for coaching conversations. When a teacher says, “I’m struggling with classroom management during transitions,” I can reference specific moments I’ve observed and offer targeted support rather than generic advice.

Keep Students Front and Center

Teachers care deeply about their students. When coaching conversations focus on student outcomes rather than teacher compliance, engagement skyrockets. Instead of “You should try this strategy,” I ask, “What would help Marcus stay engaged during independent reading?” or “How might we support Sofia in showing her mathematical thinking?”

I help teachers set specific, observable goals: “By December, I want to see at least 80% of my students asking each other questions during discussions” or “I want my English learners to feel confident contributing ideas in small groups.” Then we can work backward from those student-focused goals to identify what instructional moves might help.

Respect the Most Precious Resource: Time

Teachers are exhausted and overwhelmed. Respecting their time isn’t just courteous—it’s essential for trust. I start every coaching conversation by asking when they need to wrap up, and I set a timer for two minutes before that deadline. This does two things: it shows I’m serious about honoring their time, and it helps both of us focus without watching the clock.

I also keep meetings purposeful. No rambling conversations or unclear agendas. Teachers should leave our time together with something useful—a new strategy to try, a problem solved, or simply feeling validated and supported.

Use Personal Touches

Email is efficient, but a handwritten note in a teacher’s mailbox stands out. On the first day of school, I try to see every teacher personally—even if it’s just a 30-second “Welcome back, I’m excited to work with you this year” conversation. Small gestures communicate that you see teachers as individuals, not just items on your to-do list.

When Trust Is Present, Everything Changes

I’ve seen firsthand what happens when teachers genuinely trust their coach. They stop pretending everything is fine and start sharing real challenges. They experiment with new approaches knowing that failure is part of learning. They seek feedback instead of avoiding it. They become reflective practitioners who are constantly asking, “How can I do this better for my students?”

And the impact doesn’t stop with individual teachers. When trust permeates a school’s coaching culture, it creates ripples. Teachers start collaborating more with each other. They share successes and struggles openly. The entire professional learning culture shifts from compliance-based to growth-oriented.

I’ve watched resistant teachers become coaching advocates. I’ve seen struggling teachers make dramatic improvements in their practice. I’ve witnessed quiet victories—a teacher finally reaching a disengaged student, a classroom culture transforming from chaotic to collaborative. None of this happens because of perfect coaching techniques. It happens because trust created the conditions for real growth.

The Long Game

If you’re new to coaching or starting in a new building, understand this: building trust takes time. You won’t win everyone over immediately, and that’s okay. Some teachers need months—or even a full school year—to decide you’re trustworthy.

During that time, stay consistent. Be empathetic. Listen more than you talk. Show genuine interest in teachers’ perspectives. Be transparent about your role and intentions. Model the vulnerability you’re asking teachers to embrace—admit when you don’t know something, share your own learning journey, acknowledge that you’re figuring things out too.

Most importantly, demonstrate through your actions that you’re committed to every teacher’s success. Not just the teachers who are easy to work with, but all of them. That commitment, sustained over time, is what builds unshakeable trust.

Trust Is the Work

Early in my coaching career, I thought my job was delivering professional development, modeling lessons, and sharing research-based strategies. Those things matter, but I had it backward. My actual job is building relationships grounded in trust. Everything else flows from that foundation.

Some days, this means the most important thing I do is have a five-minute conversation in the hallway with a stressed teacher. Other days, it means sitting quietly while a teacher processes a difficult classroom situation. Sometimes it means celebrating a small win that no one else would notice. This relational work might not feel as productive as checking off tasks, but it’s the most important work I do.

Because here’s the truth: Teachers don’t change their practice because a coach has great ideas. They change because they trust that coach cares about them and their students, that the coach will support them through the messy process of growth, and that the coach is genuinely invested in their success.

Build that trust, and you’re not just helping individual teachers improve—you’re transforming entire school communities, one relationship at a time.