This article describes a school district administrator's research on optimal coaching experiences for classroom teachers. This research was done with the intent of gaining a better understanding of how coaching affects student learning. The author defines coaching as the assistance given to a teacher to improve on teaching practices in order to improve student learning. Considering types of coaching models implemented across the United States, the author's inquiry was based on three questions: (1) Is there a difference in student achievement between teachers who are coached and those who aren't?; (2) What is coaching like for teachers, and why does coaching make a difference?; and (3) What coaching model is best and why? The study found five important attributes that should be embedded in all coaching experiences. The coach needs: (1) people skills and a good working relationship with the teacher; (2) to focus on the personal development of each teacher versus rote implementation of programs; (3) time to be available to each teacher; (4) the ability to help teachers understand the use of data to plan instruction; and (5) to focus the coaching work in each school in a side-by-side setting.