In this #coachbetter episode Kim chats with return guest Steve Barkley, Executive VP PLS 3rd Learning, author of many books about instructional coaching, and Advisor Executive Committee of AAICIS, the Association for the Advancement of Instructional Coaching in International Schools. 

Kim is excited to share this episode with you, not only because Steve is amazing and one of her coaching superheroes, but also because he was one of our first ever guests on the show - so it’s especially interesting to hear first-hand how his thinking has evolved over time since that conversation.

In this episode they talk about:

• Systems for coaching success - especially when starting from scratch

• What leaders need to know about the long term impact of coaching - especially when talking to their school board

• How to make coaching sustainable

• What experienced coaches can do to continually refine their practice

• Trends in instructional coaching in international schools

This episode is a gold mine for coaches or school leaders looking to build successful and sustainable instructional coaching programs! Steve works with so many schools, and has such a deep understanding of how coaching works - you don’t want to miss this episode!

Find the show notes for this episode here.

In this #coachbetter episode, Diana unpacks the flow of a coaching conversation, so you can think about, or reflect on, the way you structure conversations  with your coaching partners. 

It can feel really intimidating to start having coaching conversations because we know we want them to feel purposeful and meaningful, but we also want them to be comfortable enough to feel like a safe space to be vulnerable and take time to process (and not like a formal meeting you might have with a supervisor). So how do you find just the right balance?

Diana shares the framework we use in The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program so you can see the way we structure those conversations. SO many of our participants come into the program having seen overly complicated and complex coaching meeting templates and they are so relieved when they find our simple process because it’s easy to implement right away - and adapt as you use it and find your own unique voice as an instructional coach.

Find the show notes for this episode here.

This #coachbetter episode is another in our series of coaching case studies, with one of Kim's amazing clients, Kelly Esposito, K12 Instructional Coach at Phoenixville School District in Pennsylvania USA. Kelly is a graduate of The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program, and Kim's been working with Kelly (and the rest of the coaching team at her school in Pennsylvania) for several years.

These case study episodes are designed to share the story of a coach, and the development of their coaching program and practice in their unique setting. 

 In this conversation they talk about... 

• What coaching looks like in Kelly's school setting right now

• How her role has, and the coaching program at PASD has, evolved over the years

• A big “aha” moment Kelly had in The Coach around equity and math instruction

• The success of implementing Building Thinking Classrooms at PASD

• How she’s refining her practice over this academic year

• What she wish she knew when she started coaching

This episode is a fantastic example of how successful instructional coaches are always intentional about growing their skills and refining their practice over time.

Find the show notes for this episode here.

In this #coachbetter episode we’re talking about the repeatable processes that coaches can repurpose year after year to keep their coaching program thriving. 

This is a highlight from one of Kim's favorite episodes from a previous season. If you’re a longtime #coachbetter listener, you know how valuable it is when we get to hear from current school leaders who have formerly been instructional coaches. This conversation is from one of those very special episodes, with Samantha Olson-Wyman and Stephanie Cifuentest, both former instructional coaches, and currently senior leaders. This episode shares insight into the work that the instructional coaches at the American School in Guatemala do every year to continue to grow the success of their coaching program.

Find the show notes for this episode here.

In this #coachbetter episode Kim chats with Leigh Miller, Deputy Head of School at Munich International School. 

In this episode they talk about:

• Leigh’s extensive experience with instructional coaching, in particular what has made it successful in previous schools, 

• the systems and structures that need to be in place for coaching to be successful and then sustainable, 

• the importance of developing a program and not just hiring a coach, 

• measuring the impact of coaching, 

• specific challenges for international schools, and 

• what school leaders need to consider when building a coaching culture. 

This episode is a gold mine of specific actions schools can take to develop and sustain a coaching culture, especially in an international school setting! If you’re curious about what makes coaching work - based on evidence from a variety of schools, and through a leaders perspective, this episode is for you!

Find the show notes for this episode here.

In this #coachbetter episode,  Kim talks about the 3 elements necessary for instructional coaching to thrive - and be sustainable over time. 

It’s easy to think that once coaches are hired, and a coaching program is established, that a coaching culture will grow, but if you’ve been coaching for any length of time, you know that it doesn’t really work like that. It takes a lot of intentional and strategic work to grow a coaching culture - and you need to build in systems and structures to make it sustainable over time.

Kim will share about how to do exactly that - following The Thrive Model for Sustainable Instructional Coaching.

Find the show notes for this episode here.

In our first #coachbetter Season 6 episode,  Kim unpacks a big concept that has come up a lot in conversations recently: why instructional coaching is (or should be) a full time role in schools.

In our recent AAICIS (Association for the Advancement of Instructional Coaching in International Schools) landscape study of international schools we found that many of the schools that don’t have coaching programs cite the fact that other educators are fulfilling the role of coach, most likely people with coordinator roles, or middle level leaders.

This finding aligns with what clients in The Coach often say about the challenge of advocating for a full time instructional coaching position - and what we hear from school leaders when they’re considering hiring coaches. 

This episode can help you articulate why instructional coaching is a specific skill, and how important it is that there is time specifically devoted for coaching work (not just an add-on to an already full job description).

Find the show notes for this episode here.

Coaching Matters (1st edition) by Joellen Killion, Cindy Harrison, Chris Bryan, and Heather Clifton [2nd edition here]

"Fostering a Culture of Growth and Belonging: The Multi-Faceted Impact of Instructional Coaching in International Schools" by Kim Cofino in Handbook of Research on Critical Issues and Global Trends in International Education

"Five Reasons Instructional Coaching in International Schools Is So Complex" by Kim Cofino in The International Educator (TIE)

What Makes Coaching Work? with Joellen Killion [Ep 146]

Creating a Positive School Culture Through Coaching with Kaitlyn Pettinga [Ep 215]

The Importance of Defining the Purpose of Coaching with Ji Han [Ep 220]

Building a Culture of Coaching with Carla Marschall [Ep 223]

Making Instructional Coaching Sustainable with Ellen and Bruce Eisenberg  [Ep 230]

Untangling Instructional Coaching, Evaluation & Appraisal with Samantha Olson-Wyman and Stephanie Cifuentes [Ep 234]

A Leadership Perspective: Making Coaching Successful with LaTyia Rolle [Ep 242]

For the tenth and final episode in the series, the topic is Looking Back to Move Forward as an Instructional Coach - a collaborative #coachbetter quick tips with Kim and Diana together . This episode focuses on the importance of reflection to help you prepare for the next academic year.  The whole series has been about reflecting on your practice and this one will set you up for an annual process every academic year.

If you enjoy this episode, and you’re curious about the others, please go back and listen to the rest of the series to learn about the Thrive Model for Sustainable Instructional Coaching so you can reflect on the Clarity, Consistency and Community you have in your coaching practice and program.

This series is designed to be an annual refresh of your coaching practice - even if you’ve heard some of the episodes before, every time you listen, when you reflect back on your growth over the last academic year, you’ll be able to take something new away to apply in your practice in the next academic year. 

Download our free companion guide & workbook that aligns with this series at edurolearning.com/refresh

The topic for the ninth episode in this series is Embracing Your Informal Leadership as an Instructional Coach. This episode focuses on the essential mindset shift that educators need to make when moving into an instructional coaching role.

If you enjoy this episode, you’ll love the previous episodes. Go back and listen so you can refresh your coaching practice following the three phases of the Thrive Model: Clarity, Consistency and Community.

This series is designed to be an annual refresh of your coaching practice - even if you’ve heard some of the episodes before, every time you listen, when you reflect back on your growth over the last academic year, you’ll be able to take something new away to apply in your practice in the next academic year. 

Download our free companion guide & workbook that aligns with this series at edurolearning.com/refresh

For the eighth episode in this series, the topic is 5 Reasons Instructional Coaches are Essential in Schools. This episode focuses on the essential mindset shift that educators need to make when moving into an instructional coaching role. 

If you enjoy this episode, you’ll love the previous episodes. Go back and listen so you can refresh your coaching practice following the three phases of the Thrive Model: Clarity, Consistency and Community.

This series is designed to be an annual refresh of your coaching practice - even if you’ve heard some of the episodes before, every time you listen, when you reflect back on your growth over the last academic year, you’ll be able to take something new away to apply in your practice in the next academic year. 

Download our free companion guide & workbook that aligns with this series at edurolearning.com/refresh