The Art of Instructional
Coaching

with Jim Knight

Register for free
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About the event

Think of a recent conversation with a teacher that truly built a partnership. What made it work?

  • What was your entry point?
  • How did you create space for both your and their expertise?
  • What did you learn about yourself as an academic leader?

Coaching conversations that foster trust and connection can inspire lasting improvements in teaching practices and as Jim Knight notes, “Coaching done well is an excellent investment in children’s lives.”

Instructional Coaching is not just a tool—it’s the cornerstone of meaningful growth. For academic leaders, it’s about cultivating trust, driving purposeful change, and ensuring every teacher feels supported on their professional journey.

This is the focus of the second learning series in the Academic Leaders Forum (ALF). Join when you have a moment, or dive deep into all three sessions—each one is designed to help you explore the art and impact of instructional coaching.

The “Learn” session is led by Jim Knight, the pioneering force behind Instructional Coaching, whose transformative work continues to inspire educators worldwide.

Connect

Coaching Cultures: Building Trust and Purpose

January 29 | 11:00 AM ET | 60 minutes

Join fellow academic leaders for a peer discussion led by Mike Matthews. Together, we’ll explore the critical questions that shape our leadership journeys:

  • How can we foster a culture where every teacher thrives?
  • How do we lead purposeful change and ensure our coaching conversations build trust?
  • How do we support teachers on their journey of growth?

Dive into discussions with your peers on cultivating growth mindsets, navigating teacher observations, and empowering educators to take ownership of their development. The “Connect” session’s peer discussion will be a prelude to Jim’s “Learn” session.

Mike Matthews
Host
Learn

Seven Success Factors of Instructional Coaching

February 13 | 2:00 PM ET | 60 minutes

How do we create a culture where every teacher is growing, every change feels purposeful, and every conversation builds trust?

It’s a tall order—especially when you’re balancing the constant demands of being an academic leader. Think of coaching not as giving orders from above, but as walking alongside teachers, helping them navigate the twists and turns of their journey. Just like an experienced trail guide, you’re there to point out hidden paths, steady a wobbly step, and celebrate when they reach a new vantage point.

In this session with Jim Knight, you’ll explore seven proven principles of instructional coaching that are grounded in real classrooms, real interactions, and real results. These principles can help you:

  • Foster a growth mindset in your teams, so teachers see challenges as invitations to learn.
  • Lead meaningful change by setting clear goals, supporting risk-taking, and building momentum over time.
  • Make your observations and feedback productive and relevant—more like a thoughtful dialogue than a top-down critique.
Jim Knight
Speaker
Extend

Look Back, Look At, Look Ahead

February 19 | 11:00 AM ET | 30 minutes

This final session in the series invites us to collectively reflect on the insights gained during the “Learn” session with Jim Knight. In this session, we’ll come together as a group and apply his framework of reflection – looking back, looking at, and looking ahead into our practice. We will:

  • look back to reflect on key practices shared through the sessions.
  • look at the insights gained and reconsider our coaching approaches.
  • look ahead and plan to apply these strategies in future coaching conversations.
Mike Matthews
Host
Register for free

Know your speaker

Disclaimer - This webinar is organised independently of and not endorsed by the IB. Toddle's events and webinars are organised to enable exchange of practices and ideas within the educator community and are not a replacement for the IB official workshops. Views and opinions expressed by the speakers are their personal views and should not be construed as official guidance by the IB.

About the Academic Leaders Forum

The ALF is on a mission of building a strong community of academic leaders from independent schools in the US to collaborate, inspire, and support one another.

Sign up to become a member
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Frequently asked questions

No, the series is completely free! We understand the challenges educators face and want to support your journey toward enhancing personalized learning. This event is our way of equipping you with innovative tools and strategies to transform teaching and learning in your classrooms.

Mark the session dates in your calendar and block your schedule for the sessions you’re excited about! We’ll send session access links closer to the event date. For now, get ready to dive into the world of effective coaching conversations.

You can join the sessions that resonate most with your interests and goals. However, attending all sessions will give you a complete understanding of how you can build your expertise in Instructional Coaching.

Unfortunately, we won't be able to provide recording of this session.

The Art of Instructional Coaching series is hosted by Academic Leaders Forum (ALF). The ALF is a community for academic heads across US independent schools. ALF is supported by Toddle, the world’s first AI-powered teaching and learning platform, designed by teachers for teachers. With over 2,000 schools trusting Toddle, we’re dedicated to empowering educators to focus on what truly matters—your students.





Mike Matthews

Mike Matthews is a National Board Certified Teacher with over 20 years experience in education. He began as a Teach for America teacher in North Carolina. Mike spent nearly two decades at schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, teaching science, math, and technology in public, charter, and independent schools.

In 2014, Mike moved out of the classroom to become the Director of Curriculum and Innovation at Burke’s in San Francisco, a role that he described as working to “educate, encourage, & empower teachers to educate, encourage, & empower girls.”

Mike’s work at Burke’s included facilitating professional development on the Understanding by Design model for curriculum design and leading the work to design and build a custom curriculum app for Burke’s.

Mike has also worked with K-12 schools nationwide coaching teachers in their work designing and teaching units using the Understanding by Design framework. In the summer of 2022, Mike became the President of Authentic Education, the consulting firm founded by the late Grant Wiggins, the co-creator of the Understanding by Design framework. In addition to UbD works, he has consulted on projects related to assessment, inclusive hiring practices, and process/systems design. His recent work includes leading Authentic Education’s team of Subject Matter Experts in writing a groundbreaking set of anti-racist and culturally competent K-12 Social Studies standards for DC Public Schools.

Mike earned his B.A. from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and his M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Massachusetts.


Jim Knight

Founder and Senior Partner, Instructional Coaching Group

Jim Knight, Founder and Senior Partner of Instructional Coaching Group (ICG), is also a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has spent more than two decades studying professional learning and instructional coaching. Jim earned his PhD in Education from the University of Kansas and has won several university teaching, innovation, and service awards. The pioneering work Jim and his colleagues have conducted has led to many innovations that are now central to professional development in schools. Jim wrote the first major article about instructional coaching for the Journal of Staff Development, and his book Instructional Coaching (2007) offered the first extended description of instructional coaching.

Jim’s book Focus on Teaching (2014) was the first extended description of how video should be used for professional learning. Recently, writing with Ann Hoffman, Michelle Harris, and Sharon Thomas, Jim introduced the idea of instructional playbooks with their book on that topic. Jim has written several books in addition to those described above, including Unmistakable Impact (2011), High-Impact Instruction (2013), Better Conversations (2015), The Impact Cycle (2018), and The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching (2021). Knight has also authored articles on instructional coaching and professional learning in publications such as Educational Leadership, The Journal of Staff Development, Principal Leadership, The School Administrator, and Kappan. Jim is also a columnist for Educational Leadership. Through ICG, Knight conducts coaching workshops, hosts the “Coaching Conversations” podcast, and provides consulting for coaching programs around the world.