Building Lasting Change in Writing Instruction: How Coaches Transform Classrooms into Catalysts for Change

Training and Instructional Coaching Matter in SRSD Implementation.

At SRSD Online, we know that delivering outstanding professional development is just the beginning. Real, lasting change in writing instruction happens when high-quality training is paired with strategic, skillful instructional coaching.

Our Train-the-Trainer Instructional Coach model was built precisely for this reason: teachers need both expert instruction from expert coaching support to confidently bring Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) into their classrooms — and to sustain it over time.

A recent Instructional Coach blog by Jon Saphier, “Teacher Coaching: Building on the Foundation of PD to Achieve Transfer into Practice” (April 15, 2025), echoes what we have seen firsthand across hundreds of schools: Instructional Coaches should never replace PD. It must be the intentional, built-in next step to professional development coaching. Saphier’s insights validate the design of SRSD Online’s approach — and provide a broader research base for why it works.

Why SRSD Online’s Train-the-Trainer Model Aligns with the Best of Instructional Coach Research

1. We start with expert professional development, not vague ideas. Our courses teach teachers specific, research-validated writing strategies and self-regulation techniques, incorporating effective teaching strategies that enhance student engagement and classroom learning. We model what success looks like, break it down step-by-step, and support teachers through guided practice. As Saphier notes, “an effective instructional coach process must be married to expert instruction” you cannot coach what was never properly taught.

2. We link new skills to measurable student goals. SRSD is built on goal setting for writing quality, strategy use, and self-regulation. As Jim Knight (cited by Saphier) explains, connecting instructional coach change to goals for student growth makes success visible and meaningful for teachers. It’s not about “trying something new”; it’s about helping students achieve real gains.

3. We prioritize practice in safe, collaborative settings. Before ever bringing strategies to students, SRSD-trained teachers engage in instructional coaching conversations as they rehearse modeling, self-talk, think-alouds, and mnemonics with their peers. This reflects the research of Joyce and Showers (1982), who found that transfer into practice requires study, modeling, peer practice, and feedback not just instructional coaches assisting in isolation.

4. We embed structured, nonjudgmental instructional coaching. Our Train-the-Trainer program prepares an instructional coach to offer feedback based on clear SRSD performance criteria, incorporating elements of instructional coaching to support teachers effectively. It’s specific, actionable, and supportive never vague or evaluative. Teachers understand exactly what to improve and why it matters for their students.

5. We engage leadership to create a culture of experimentation. Saphier emphasizes that school leaders must be learners too. SRSD-trained administrators are encouraged to participate in PD with the instructional coach, try SRSD strategies themselves, observe teachers with a coaching lens, and celebrate experimentation. Vulnerability at the leadership level builds trust and accelerates change.

Why the Instructional Coach Matters

Too often, professional development promises a revolution in practice and then fizzles out. Teachers are left to struggle on their own, unsure if they’re “doing it right” or whether it’s even making a difference.

By pairing expert PD with ongoing, structured instructional coach assistance tied to student success, SRSD Online is changing that pattern. We’re seeing teachers not just try SRSD but own it, refine it, and achieve remarkable outcomes for their students.

Saphier’s article highlights what research has told us for decades: real instructional change requires an intentional system, not random hope. At SRSD Online, we are proud to offer that system built on decades of research, strengthened by today’s best instructional coach practices, and designed to empower educators at every level.

Building Relationships

One dimension that often receives too little attention in discussions of instructional coaching is relationship-building. Effective coaches begin by earning teachers’ trust: they listen without judgment, honor teacher expertise, and position themselves as partners rather than evaluators. When teachers sense psychological safety, they willingly try unfamiliar SRSD routines, such as think-aloud goal setting, and share the inevitable missteps that come with experimentation. This cycle of candid reflection and targeted support accelerates growth far more than surveillance-style walkthroughs ever could.

Feedback Loops

Coaching also thrives on tight feedback loops grounded in real student work. Powerful SRSD coaches schedule brief “data huddles” every two to three weeks, bringing annotated writing samples and rubric scores to the table. Together, teachers and coaches analyze where strategy use is breaking down perhaps students are skipping the POW+TREE planning organizer or under-utilizing self-monitoring checklists and pinpoint one high-leverage adjustment. Because teachers see the direct line between coaching feedback and immediate improvements in student drafts, their motivation to refine practice climbs.

Technology has opened new avenues for sustaining these feedback cycles without adding hours to the school day. Many SRSD districts now rely on secure video platforms that let teachers upload a quick iPad recording of a mini-lesson or conferencing session. Coaches respond with time-stamped comments, modeling alternative think-aloud language or showing how to scaffold goal setting more explicitly. Asynchronous video coaching keeps momentum alive in geographically dispersed schools, reduces travel costs, and gives busy teachers the autonomy to reflect when it best fits their schedule.

Generalization

Beyond individual classrooms, instructional coaching acts as the connective tissue that aligns writing instruction across grade bands. Coaches convene vertical teams where a fourth-grade teacher and a seventh-grade ELA specialist can compare SRSD strategy progressions and agree on common language for mnemonics like TIDE and TREE. This articulation prevents the “strategy cliff” many students face when they advance to a new grade level and encounter entirely different writing expectations. Consistent terminology and shared self-regulation routines build a district-wide culture of writer identity and perseverance.

Curriculum Integration

Coaches also play a critical role in integrating SRSD with existing curricula rather than layering it on as one more initiative. In schools using CKLA or Benchmark Advance, for instance, coaches map SRSD stages onto upcoming units, demonstrating how writing strategies POWre +TIDE can deepen informative writing embedded in a science module. This curricular threading reassures teachers that SRSD is not an additional burden but a lens that strengthens what they already teach. It likewise satisfies administrators looking for coherence with state standards and assessment frameworks.

Professional Advancement 

Districts that invest in an internal pipeline of SRSD coaches reap long-term rewards. Teacher-leaders who complete the Train-the-Trainer pathway often advance to mentoring roles, designing schoolwide writing celebrations, leading data dives, and guiding new hires through SRSD onboarding. Because these leaders emerge from within the faculty, they understand local constraints, speak colleagues’ language, and model a growth mindset that newcomers readily emulate. Over time, coaching capacity multiplies organically, reducing reliance on external consultants and safeguarding implementation fidelity amid staff turnover.

Increased Student Success

Compelling evidence underscores the payoff of this approach. A 2018 meta-analysis by Kraft, Blazar, and Hogan reported average effect sizes of +0.49 on instructional quality and +0.18 on student achievement when teachers received sustained coaching. When paired with SRSD, which already boasts medium-to-large writing effect sizes, districts can reasonably anticipate a double impact: stronger classroom practice and measurable gains on rubrics and standardized assessments alike. Importantly, these results emerge not from short-term workshops but from the iterative, goal-centered coaching cycles described above.

Return on Investment

Finally, instructional coaching produces a return on investment that extends beyond test scores. Teachers who feel supported and see tangible student growth report higher job satisfaction and are less likely to leave the profession. By promoting teacher efficacy and reducing turnover, districts conserve recruitment dollars and preserve institutional knowledge assets that cannot be captured by line-item budgeting but make or break sustained reform efforts.

Together, these elements fill critical gaps between professional development and classroom reality. They illustrate how SRSD Online’s Train-the-Trainer model does more than transmit knowledge; it builds a living, breathing infrastructure for continuous improvement. When coaches cultivate trust, harness data, leverage technology, align curricula, and seed leadership, they turn SRSD from a powerful workshop into a lasting engine of writing success.

Ready to Build a Culture of Writing Success?

If your district is ready to move beyond “one-and-done” PD and create real momentum in writing instruction, let’s talk. Our Train-the-Trainer program can help you build internal expertise, conduct a thorough assessment, provide strong instructional coach support with an experienced instructional coach, and create a sustainable writing achievement plan tailored to your schools, your students, and your goals.

Schedule a free Instructional Coach consultation with our team today to learn more.

Instructional Coach References:

• Saphier, J. (2025). *Teacher Coaching: Building on the Foundation of PD to Achieve Transfer into Practice.*Research for Better Teaching. 
• Knight, J. (2025). Five Myths About Professional Learning. EL Magazine.
• Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (1982). The Coaching of Teaching. Educational Leadership Magazine.
• Kraft, M. A., Blazar, D., & Hogan, D. (2018). The Effect of Teacher Coaching on Instruction and Achievement: A Meta-Analysis of the Causal Evidence. Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547–588.

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