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
TLC Keynote Presenter Yong Zhao
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In this episode of Coaching Conversations, Jim Knight talks with education expert Yong Zhao, keynote speaker for TLC 2026, about what it means to rethink teaching and learning in an AI-driven world.
Yong challenges many of the assumptions behind traditional school reform and shares a compelling vision for education that is more personalized, problem-centered, and grounded in student strengths. He also introduces his Courageous Minority movement, encouraging educators to lead meaningful change wherever they are.
Together, Jim and Yong explore the promise and potential risks of AI, including its impact on equity, creativity, and human connection. Throughout the conversation, one idea remains clear: technology matters, but authentic relationships are still at the heart of powerful teaching and coaching.
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