Coaching Conversations with Jim Knight
Jim Knight is the founder of The Instructional Coaching Group, a professional development provider dedicated to offering PD for coaches, teachers, and leaders based on a partnership approach that creates better learning environments for all students. As a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Jim has spent 25 years studying professional learning and instructional coaching. He 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 has written several books in addition to those described above, including the bestsellers Unmistakable Impact (2011), High-Impact Instruction (2013), Focus on Teaching (2014), Better Conversations (2015), The Impact Cycle (2018), and The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching (2021). He has also authored articles featured in Educational Leadership, The Journal of Staff Development, Principal Leadership, The School Administrator, and Kappan.
Coaching Conversations with Jim Knight
Coaching Q & A
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Jim Knight and Jessica Wise dig into the art of giving and receiving effective feedback in instructional coaching and leadership. They explore how empathy, self-awareness, and a partnership approach can transform feedback conversations from uncomfortable moments into opportunities for real growth.
Through personal stories and practical strategies, Jim and Jessica discuss ways coaches and leaders can make feedback more collaborative and meaningful using tools like video, data, and reflective dialogue to support professional learning. They also talk about how context matters, why feedback should never feel like top-down advice, and how strong coaching relationships create space for honest reflection.
The conversation highlights a core idea at the heart of instructional coaching: feedback works best when it’s grounded in partnership, focused on improvement, and centered on doing what’s best for students.
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