Instructional Coaching and Lesson Planning: What Coaches Look For

Most teachers write lesson plans for administrators, not for themselves. The result is plans that look good on paper but function as compliance documents rather than instructional tools. Instructional coaches see this clearly: the lesson plan says "guided discussion" but the class period is 30 minutes of lecture. The plan says "formative assessment" but the only data collected is a thumbs up/thumbs down.

If you work with an instructional coach — or want to use lesson planning more intentionally for your own growth — here's what good coaching conversations focus on.

What Coaches Actually Look For

Alignment between objective, instruction, and assessment: The tightest indicator of a strong lesson plan is whether the objective, the main activity, and the exit ticket are measuring the same thing. If the objective is "students will analyze the author's use of figurative language" but the exit ticket asks students to define figurative language terms, those aren't aligned. The exit ticket should ask students to do the same cognitive work as the objective.

Specificity of the objective: "Students will understand photosynthesis" is not an objective — it's a topic. "Students will explain how light energy is converted to chemical energy in the chloroplast" is an objective. Vague objectives produce vague lessons.

Evidence of student thinking: Where in the lesson are students doing cognitive work, not just receiving information? Coaches look for activities that require students to construct understanding, not just absorb and record it.

Differentiation that changes access, not expectations: Strong lesson plans include differentiated supports that give all students access to grade-level content — not separate, easier versions for struggling students.

Logistics and transitions: Coaches who have taught know that transitions between activities eat lesson time. Plans that account for how students will move between activities, distribute materials, and set up groups are easier to execute cleanly.

Writing Plans That Generate Useful Coaching Conversations

A lesson plan that produces a good coaching conversation has:

1. A specific, measurable objective that could be assessed
2. A clear rationale for the main instructional approach (why this activity for this objective?)
3. Student-facing language — the actual questions you'll ask, not just "facilitate discussion"
4. A formative check that gives you data you can act on
5. A note on what you're trying to improve this lesson — what's the coaching focus?

That last element is the most valuable. When you name what you're working on — questioning technique, wait time, cold calling, pacing — you give the coach something to observe intentionally rather than observe generally.

The Pre-Conference Protocol

Before a coaching observation, share your lesson plan and answer four questions:

1. What is the specific learning objective?
2. What activity will generate the most evidence of student learning?
3. What's the highest-risk moment in the lesson (where things are most likely to go sideways)?
4. What do you want the coach to specifically look for?

This protocol shifts coaching from evaluative ("here's what I noticed") to collaborative ("here's what we were both looking for"). Teachers who use it report that coaching conversations feel less like feedback and more like thinking partners.

Using Lesson Plans for Self-Reflection

Even without a coach, lesson plans become self-coaching tools when you add a brief reflection after the lesson:

• What actually happened vs. what I planned?
• Which students I'm concerned about and why
• What I'd change next time

What Coaches Wish Teachers Knew

The most common coaching feedback across subject areas:

"Your objective was too broad." One lesson can serve one objective well. More than one usually means neither is met.

"The students did the activity but didn't learn the concept." Activity ≠ learning. The activity needs to require the cognitive work specified in the objective.

"I couldn't tell what success looked like." If you don't know what a successful student response looks like, neither do students.

"There wasn't enough time to do it well." Over-packed plans are the most common lesson plan failure. One concept, done deeply, beats three concepts done shallowly every time.