This study discusses how four instructional coaches' roles and identities, as well as the school district context, have influenced their development as instructional coaches. This study thematically analyzes the narrative stories of four elementary school English instructional coaches in New Taipei City, Taiwan. The study concludes that the way they have been taught to learn English has influenced the way they themselves teach English, which in turn has influenced the areas of expertise they have focused on as instructional coaches. The schools and the district where these instructional coaches teach have had a direct impact on their roles as language teachers and language teacher trainers.