This professional paper thoroughly describes (1) the role of coaching in education, (2) how coaches are prepared, (3) what conditions support coaching, (4) what challenges coaching presents, and (5) the impact of coaching. Educators and Administrators will find especially helpful “What is coaching and what do coaches do?”--a section that starts on page 4 (page 12 of 46 of the PDF document) and provides thorough information about different types of coaching roles and activities. Two appendices address coaching small groups and coaching the coaches. This paper is a valuable resource for the practical application of what coaching entails. (author/ebm)