Instructional coaching is the heartbeat of school improvement, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood leadership roles in education.
Hosted by researcher and leadership coach Dr. Courtney Tate, Leading From the Middle explores the complexity of navigating instructional change without formal authority. This season, we dive deep into the lived experiences of Black Women Instructional Coaches (BWIC) to uncover what it truly means to influence teaching and learning from the center of our school systems.
We’re a few weeks into the school year. The routines are starting to settle, teachers are moving deeper into content, and instructional coaches are finding themselves back at planning tables, asking an important question:
What does this moment require from me?
In this episode of Leading from the Middle, I’m exploring the movement between coaching and consulting. Sometimes our job is to ask the question that pushes a teacher’s thinking. Other times, especially when someone is still developing their practice, we may need to co-plan, model, practice, or provide more explicit support.
The goal isn’t to avoid being directive altogether. It’s to ensure our support builds capacity rather than dependency.
I’m also bringing this conversation back to my research on Black Women Instructional Coaches as intellectual contributors. As BWICs, we have to be willing to use our voices, contribute what we know, ask questions when we don’t know, and resist shrinking ourselves in spaces where our thinking can help shape the work.
We’ll talk about coaching questions, instructional planning, lesson internalization, scaffolding support, teacher ownership, and what it means to confidently contribute while still modeling curiosity and clarity.
Because sometimes we step forward. Sometimes we stand beside. Sometimes we step back. The work is knowing when.
19 Jun 2026
Rewriting the Script: Counterstories and Confident Leadership with Dr. Felecia Tolliver
Who writes the script for your leadership journey? In this episode of Leading From the Middle, Dr. Courtney Tate dives into Dimension 1: Identity of the BWIC Framework to explore counterstories—reclaiming our narratives to disrupt dominant, restrictive systemic assumptions.
Joining the conversation is Dr. Felecia Tolliver, Director of Educational Support Programs. From classroom teacher to district executive, Dr. Tolliver opens up about the traps of over-functioning, self-abandonment, and muting oneself to fit into a systemic "box." Together, they share how to step out of survival mode, stand on your earned expertise, and use boundaries as ultimate identity protection.
Systems Thinking vs. Management: Shift your boundary by asking to be leveraged in strategic thinking at the forefront, not just execution after the plane is already built.
Identity Protection: Reframe your boundaries—they are not a rejection of the work; they are a shield to keep from losing yourself in the process.
Drop the Exhaustion: True leadership value is never measured by your level of burnout or over-functioning
25 May 2026
Leading Through the Lean: Resilience, Resistance, and Reclaiming Your Energy with Dr. Damion Lewis
Coaching isn’t just about pedagogy; it’s about people. And where there are people, there is heavy emotional labor. In this episode of Leading From the Middle, Dr. Courtney Tate sits down with leadership expert Dr. Damion Lewis to unpack Dimension 2 of the BWIC Framework: Resilience.
Whether your district calls it Social Emotional Learning (SEL), professional life skills, human development, or character culture, the core truth remains the same: instructional coaches bear the unique psychological toll of being the system's "shock absorbers. They bridge high-level district mandates with the immediate, raw realities of the classroom.
17 Apr 2026
Redefining Leadership Identity with Dr. Shanita Anderson
"You are there because you are supposed to be. Period. Your expertise is the evidence, and your impact is the receipt."
In this episode, Dr. Courtney Tate is joined by her first guest, Dr. Anderson, a former state-level instructional coach, professor, and mentor, to dive into the first dimension of the BWIC Leadership Framework: Identity.
In this masterclass conversation, we discuss:
The Teacher-to-Leader Shift: How to move from being one of the teachers to an instructional authority without a formal administrative title.
The Identity Paradox: Navigating the friction of being hyper-visible when there is a fire to put out, yet invisible when it’s time for high-level strategy.
Credibility & Authority: Why you should never feel the need to run down your credentials and how to let your expertise be your shield.
Navigating Relationships: Maintaining relational trust with former peers while upholding instructional integrity with administrators.
Redefinition of Self: How BWICs can rewrite their own leadership narrative to ensure they are seen, heard, and valued.
Reflection for today: Are you allowing the system to define your role, or are you showing up as the architect of your own professional identity?
Next Episode: Dimension Two — Resilience: Navigating the emotional labor of change.
27 Mar 2026
The Invisible Leadership of Instructional Coaches
In this episode, Dr. Courtney Tate moves beyond the "what" of coaching and dives into the "how" by introducing the BWIC Leadership Framework. If you’ve ever felt like your role was viewed as "extra help" rather than "essential leadership," this conversation is for you.
Drawing from her doctoral research on Black Women Instructional Coaches (BWICs), Dr. Tate explores the paradox of being hyper-visible when there’s a fire to put out, yet invisible when it comes to high-level strategy.
In this episode, we explore the 5 Dimensions of Invisible Leadership:
Identity: Redefining yourself as a leader to resist external labels.
Resilience: Strategically navigating resistance and scrutiny.
Intellectual Contribution: Owning your role as a primary driver of expertise.
Change Agency: Leading systemic shifts through "Lateral Leadership."
Community & Belonging: Building the networks that sustain the work.
Whether you are a coach navigating the middle space or a school leader looking to better support your team, this episode provides the professional vocabulary to move the coach from the "dotted line" to the center of the instructional vision.
Reflection for today: Which of these five dimensions feels most "invisible" in your role right now?
Connect with Courtney Tate, Ph.D.:
Subscribe to Leading From the Middle so you never miss an episode.
Share this episode with a colleague who is leading from the heart of their school system.
Next Episode: Dimension One — Identity: Leading while being seen and unseen at the same time.
20 Mar 2026
Why Instructional Coaches Matter
In this debut episode, Dr. Courtney Tate explores the complex reality of "leading from the middle." Drawing on 18+ years of experience and her research on Black Women Instructional Coaches (BWIC), she explains why the coaching role is so often misunderstood and introduces the BWIC Leadership Framework.
Key Highlights:
The "Tightrope": Balancing principal goals with teacher reality.
The 10 Roles: Why coaching varies in every building.
The Gap: Why we need to center the voices of Black women in instructional leadership.
Preview: The 5 Dimensions of the BWIC Framework.
Reflection Question: What does it truly mean to lead from the middle of our schools?
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