
Picking Your Battles as an Instructional Coach with Beth Dressler
In this episode Kim is chatting with Beth Dressler, Deputy Head of Elementary and PYP Coordinator at NIST International School in Bangkok, Thailand. As a school leader, Beth works very closely with the coaching team at NIST. Her deep understanding of the coaching role in inquiry-driven schools provides such great insight into the power of coaches as “learning partners” for their teaching and leadership colleagues. It’s clear that Beth’s vision and passion for coaching truly support teacher agency and there’s lots to take away from this conversation that can be applied in any school setting. Full show notes: https://coachbetter.tv/episode-43/
10 Juli 201945min

What does it mean to be an Instructional Coach? with Clint Hamada & Kim Cofino
In today’s episode Clint and I talk about trends in instructional coaching, particularly in international schools in Asia. In this spotlight we’re talking about what it means to be a coach, and many of the key elements of being a coach today, that perhaps were not a significant part of the role several years ago. Our conversation today was inspired by questions from our #coachbetter facebook group. We’re planning to respond to those questions here on the channel regularly, so please join us or leave a question in the comments below! Full Show Notes Here: https://elpn.edurolearning.com/coachbetter/episode-41/
26 Juni 201951min

The Trap of Finding "Pet Projects" as an Instructional Coach with Ben Summerton
In this episode of #coachbetter we're chatting with Ben Summerton, ES Tech & Innovation Coordinator at Singapore American School. Ben talks about the outstanding school infrastructure at SAS that enables his amazing coaching team to innovate and closely support teacher and student learning. Full Show Notes https://elpn.edurolearning.com/coachbetter/episode-40/
19 Juni 201957min

Instructional Coaching is an "Intellectual Spa"! with Niki Dinsdale
In this episode of #coachbetter Kim chats with Niki Dinsdale, University Advisor at UWC, SEA. During their conversation Niki described coaching as an “intellectual spa” (which is now Kim’s new favorite metaphor for coaching!)Niki believes that coaching is a critical opportunity to stop and deeply reflect on our own professional “habits” that have been built over time. Niki thinks coaching can almost be self-indulgent because of the many great benefits that come from a meaningful relationship, full of thoughtful conversations, with a colleague who is focused on helping her achieve her own professional goals. If you’re not sure coaching is for you, this conversation with Niki will likely convince you that it’s time for your own “intellectual spa” experience! Full Show Notes Here: https://elpn.edurolearning.com/coachbetter/episode-39/
12 Juni 201942min

The value of building a PLN to "bloom where you're planted" with Jen Clark
In this episode of #coachbetter spotlight we’re chatting with Jen Clark, Library Media Specialist and Tech Coach at Canadian Academy in Kobe, Japan. Jen is in the unique perspective of being both a coach and a librarian at the same time, so we had a great opportunity to take a deeper look at how these two positions can truly overlap in a school setting. Full Show Notes https://elpn.edurolearning.com/coachbetter/episode-38
5 Juni 201939min

The Purpose of Instructional Coaching in Schools with John D’Arcy
In this episode, we’re chatting with John D’Arcy, Deputy Director of Western Academy of Beijing in China. John’s extensive experience in innovative school environments around the word provides a clear vision of how we can create an inclusive and empowered community of learners through a leadership structure focused on empathy and understanding of the individual humans that make up our schools. John’s depth of understanding of the power of coaching, and the role that school leaders and school culture plays in the success of that role, made this conversation a wealth of practical ideas and opportunities for reflection for coaches, teachers and school leaders! Full Show Notes https://elpn.edurolearning.com/coachbetter/episode-37
29 Maj 201936min

The Power of Classroom Observation for Instructional Coaches with Merilyn Winslade
In this episode of #coachbetter spotlight we’re talking about the importance of coaches taking time to visit classrooms while students are learning - especially in content-heavy subject areas like science. Our guest, Merilyn Winslade, IB Diploma Chemistry and Middle School science teacher at NIST International School in Thailand, shares how valuable it would be for her, particularly in higher level sciences, to have a coach observe in her classroom to help her identify opportunities for innovative learning by seeing exactly what’s happening during her lessons. Full shownotes: https://elpn.edurolearning.com/coachbetter/episode-36
22 Maj 201938min