Coaching the Coach: A Digital Autoethnography of Generative AI in Teacher and Leadership Preparation

The study examines how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) functioned as a coaching partner in three education preparation courses for future teachers and educational leaders. The courses included early childhood lesson planning, research writing in teacher preparation, and school improvement planning in educational leadership. A digital autoethnographic design guided the work, relying on student reflections, AI transcripts, and faculty reflections to understand how coaching interactions shaped thinking across programs. The design enabled instructors to examine their own positionalities while interpreting the digital records of student reasoning. Students reported gains in clarity, confidence, and alignment as they revised their work with AI supports. Several students noted that reflective questioning encouraged them to explain their decisions and refine their instructional or leadership plans. Others expressed caution when AI suggestions did not match their intentions or preferred frameworks. Faculty observed that the transcripts revealed misunderstandings and areas of growth that were not visible in traditional assignments. Recommendations for educator preparation emphasize the value of introducing AI coaching after students create their own drafts, requiring documentation of prompts, modeling reflective questioning, and preserving student agency. The study offers guidance for programs seeking to integrate GenAI as a reflective partner while supporting ethical engagement and professional judgment across the licensure spectrum.