Enhancing Instruction for Multilingual Learners: Coaching Practices to Empower Students

by Paula Polk

Overview

Teachers need more help supporting multilingual learners, and the right coaching moves can make a difference.

Every year, the number of multilingual students grows, and despite best intentions, their learning can lag behind their peers. Leadership expert Paula Polk has identified intentional and inclusive coaching practices that will help teachers empower these students at every level.

Enhancing Instruction for Multilingual Learners is filled with tips and tools so that instructional leaders and coaches can
• Create a culture of partnership and communication based on core coaching beliefs.
• Prioritize the instructional principles that best build language proficiency.
• Implement the coaching strategies that fit the learning goal.
• Make sure teachers include students in their own learning.
• Guide teachers in planning content that meets students' needs.
• Develop teacher—centered coaching models that enhance their expertise.

A shift toward equity and inclusion cannot occur in isolation. It requires partnership—between coaches, teachers, and students. Learn which motivations, mindsets, and moves will make you an agent of change and empower teachers with the skills to ensure high—quality instruction that meets multilingual students' needs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416633730
Publisher:	ASCD
Publication date:	07/15/2025
Pages:	161
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Paula Polk has served in education for 16 years, teaching 1st grade and 3rd grade for the first 10 years of her educational career. Her journey into educational leadership began as a language coach; she then embarked into district leadership as an English as a second language (ESL) facilitator. In this role, she coaches language coaches, language acquisition specialists, and ESL teachers preK–12 as they work with stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, and multilingual students and families. This role also affords her the opportunity to curate professional learning for teachers, coaches, district coordinators, and administrators as they seek to create spaces for multilingual students to thrive. You can learn more about her work and her journey to writing Enhancing Instruction for Multilingual Learners at https://coachreflective.org.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"In her insightful book, Paula guides readers through the foundations and practice of effective coaching. With relatable examples and practical resources, she emphasizes coaching as 'heart work,' motivating us to enhance our skills. Her comparison of coaching to a relay race highlights the importance of both theory and practice. This engaging read is essential for all coaches, from beginners to veterans, and offers invaluable reflections that resonate deeply. A true mentor, Polk inspires us to empower teachers and students alike."
—Soo Cho, Frisco ISD language coach

"Enhancing Instruction for Multilingual Learners invites every educator into a reflective space, centering what we can control in the complex work of supporting multilingual learners. With compassion and clarity, Paula Polk shows us how to grow alongside our students—igniting a light within ourselves, our colleagues, and the systems we seek to transform. This book is a must—read for any teacher, coach, campus administrator, or district leader committed to improving instruction and outcomes for all learners."
—Aimee Daddi, Secondary Coordinator for Emergent Bilinguals in Plano ISD

"Finally, a book dedicated to supporting language acquisition through an instructional coaching lens! This book is the perfect balance of research and practical implications, all while underscoring a universal truth: we must engage and collaborate with all stakeholders to increase student outcomes. Each chapter of the book provides foundational learning and a framework for implementation—everything from questions to pose to educators, things to reflect upon as coaches, and ways to confer with students. Enhancing Instruction for Multilingual Learners honors the needs of the teacher, team, and campus and offers a multitude of ways to coach for student success."
—Curstin Ploch, EdM, ESL coordinator

"In Enhancing Instruction for Multilingual Learners, a focus on effective coaching practices makes this book a standout resource for instructional leaders. By offering actionable, research—driven strategies, Polk empowers coaches to guide and support educators in creating inclusive, student—centered classrooms. The emphasis on collaboration and reflective practices ensures not only that multilingual learners thrive academically and linguistically but also that educators grow professionally in the process. This is an indispensable guide for coaches committed to equity and excellence in multilingual education."
—Nautami Patel, language coach

"In this book, Paula Polk recognizes the complexities of working from a space where the educational leader is part coach and part advocate for multilingual learners. Referencing past research as well as current educational equity and coaching greats, she writes in a way that synthesizes the information that’s out there while making real, actionable recommendations that educators can put into practice immediately."
—Lisa Morales, ESL education coordinator