Instructional coaches are often valued for their experience, instructional knowledge, and ability to support teacher growth. Yet one of the most important qualities a coach can bring to a coaching conversation is intellectual humility.
Researchers define intellectual humility as recognizing that our beliefs, interpretations, and conclusions may be incomplete or even mistaken. It is the willingness to acknowledge that our understanding is always evolving, and that new evidence or perspectives may lead us to rethink what we believe. Intellectual humility is not a lack of confidence or expertise. Rather, it is the recognition that no matter how much we know, there is always more to discover.
For instructional coaches, this mindset is especially valuable. Coaches regularly observe classrooms, listen to teachers describe successes and struggles, and interpret evidence about teaching and learning. Without intellectual humility, it is easy to assume we understand what happened or to rush toward solutions based on our own experiences. With intellectual humility, however, coaches approach conversations with curiosity rather than certainty. In doing so, they create space for teachers to think more deeply about their own practice instead of simply accepting someone else’s interpretation.
Intellectual humility doesn’t diminish a coach’s credibility, it strengthens it. Teachers are more likely to engage in honest reflection when they experience a coach who is genuinely interested in learning alongside them rather than demonstrating expertise. A coach’s willingness to question assumptions, consider alternative explanations, and remain open to being surprised, models the very reflective habits we hope teachers will develop.
Several years ago, I wrote about intellectual humility as an essential component of educator reflection. Revisiting the topic, I’m increasingly convinced that intellectual humility is equally foundational to effective coaching. It shapes not only how coaches think, but also the kinds of conversations they create. Warren Berger, author of The Book of Beautiful Questions, offers four questions that provide a powerful framework for coaches seeking to cultivate this important coaching stance.
- Do I think more like a soldier or a scout?
Soldiers defend positions, protect conclusions, and look for evidence that confirms what they already believe. Scouts explore. They gather information, remain open to surprises, and seek the most accurate understanding of the terrain.
Effective coaching requires a scout mindset. Before entering a classroom or beginning a post-conference, coaches benefit from asking themselves, “Am I trying to confirm what I expect to see, or am I genuinely curious about what I might discover?” A scout understands that every classroom contains complexities that cannot be fully understood through a single observation or assumption.
Rather than entering an observation convinced they already know what the issue is, the coach remains open, observant, and curious. During the post-conference, the coach begins not by sharing an interpretation but by asking, “What did you notice?” and “How did what you observe compare with what you anticipated?” Those questions invite shared discovery rather than predetermined conclusions. As both teacher and coach explore what occurred, reflection becomes a joint investigation instead of a search for confirmation.
- Would I rather be right, or would I rather understand?
The desire to be right can quietly undermine a coaching conversation. When coaches become attached to their interpretation of what occurred, they may stop listening for new information. Intellectual humility shifts the coach’s goal from proving an explanation to developing a deeper understanding alongside the teacher.
Effective coaches recognize that a lesson can be experienced differently by the teacher, the students, and the observer. Rather than assuming their perspective is the most accurate, they seek to understand the teacher’s intentions and experiences and compare those with the evidence that emerged.
Instead of beginning with, “Here’s what I noticed,” the coach begins with questions such as, “As the lesson unfolded, when did it match the movie you imagined while planning?” and “Where did it differ?” Those questions help coach and teacher build a shared understanding before drawing conclusions.
- Do I seek out opposing views?
Intellectual humility means recognizing that our first interpretation may not be the only—or the best—explanation. Coaches strengthen reflection by intentionally exploring alternative perspectives before settling on conclusions.
Effective coaches remain curious about explanations they may not have initially considered. They recognize that the teacher’s thinking, students’ experiences, and classroom context may reveal possibilities that were not immediately apparent during an observation.
The coach deliberately resists settling too quickly on a single explanation. Rather than assuming a cause or shortcoming, the coach asks, “What are some other possible explanations for what we observed?” or “What might your students say was happening during that part of the lesson?” Exploring multiple perspectives often uncovers new insights and leads to richer reflection than accepting the first explanation that comes to mind.
- Do I welcome discovering that I was mistaken?
Perhaps the strongest demonstration of intellectual humility is the willingness to revise our thinking when new evidence emerges. Coaches who are comfortable changing their minds model the very reflection they hope to encourage in teachers.
Every coaching conversation is an opportunity to learn. Sometimes evidence gathered during the post-conference reveals that the coach’s initial interpretation was incomplete. Rather than defending that interpretation, intellectually humble coaches embrace the opportunity to deepen their understanding.
A coach may enter the conversation believing students struggled because directions were unclear. The teacher initially believes the students simply weren’t prepared. As they examine student work together, both realize that the task required background knowledge the students had not yet developed. Together, they discover an explanation neither had considered.
The four questions create a practical framework for coaching with intellectual humility:
- Enter with curiosity.
- Listen to understand before interpreting.
- Expand the conversation by considering alternative explanations.
- Be willing to change your thinking along the way.
Coaching with intellectual humility does not mean coaches set aside their expertise. It means they use that expertise in service of inquiry rather than certainty. They seek to understand before they seek to explain. In this coaching stance, curiosity replaces certainty, understanding precedes judgment, multiple perspectives are welcomed, and both coach and teacher expect to leave the conversation thinking more deeply than when they entered.
Perhaps the greatest demonstration of intellectual humility is a coach entering every conversation expecting to learn something they did not know when it began.
