Instructional Coaching Institute By Jim Knight 28th February - 1st March 2015, Luxembourg

Overview:   Across the world, many school are hiring instructional coaches or onsite professional developers to lead school reform efforts. Consequently, hundreds of educational professionals are finding themselves in high-stakes, critically important roles in their schools, with little or no professional development to prepare them for successfully performing their tasks. The lack of professional learning for coaches places schools at risk. Decision makers in schools need to learn how to set up coaching programs so that they can save time and implement change efficiently. Schools also need to know what good coaching looks like so that they can create programs that really do improve the quality of students’ lives. The Instructional Coaching Institute will provide a foundation upon which a solid, effective instructional coaching program can be built. The content of the institute is based on more than eight years of research on instructional coaching conducted by the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.   Agenda   The Instructional Coaching Institute will provide a definition of what instructional coaches do, distinguish between effective and ineffective coaching practices, and provide an overview of the current state of research on coaching. The institute addresses the following questions: What is instructional coaching and how does it differ from other forms of coaching? What can a coach do to foster internal commitment in others? What is the theoretical foundation for instructional coaching? Which specific communication strategies can a person use to build healthy relationships with other professionals? What are the various activities instructional coaches do (enrolling teachers, pre- conferencing, observing classes, modeling in and outside the classroom, and debriefing), and what are the effective ways in which they should be conducted? What does research say about effective coaching practices? How can coaches build coherence and disseminate ideas across schools? Which leadership skills enable coaches to lead reform efforts in their schools?     How will this institute work? This session will be facilitated through the use of Partnership Learning (www. kucrl.org/partnership), so all professional learning is designed to be “hands-on” and practical and to encourage meaningful dialogue, reflection, and action planning.   learn numerous coaching skills that they can use right away in their professional practice. discuss each strategy, principle, tool, or idea with other coaches to gain multiple perspectives on the learning that is shared. practice selected communication skills with other participants. hear about best practices that are being implemented by coaches across the country. create specific implementation and communication plans to take back to their schools and districts. Participants should leave each session with practical materials that they will be able to use right away, and everyone will have ample time to plan how to use the strategies, skills, tools, and other materials that they are most interested in using. Potential Audience   The Instructional Coaching Institute will appeal to district decision makers, instructional coaches, site-based professional developers, and others interested in learning more about instructional coaching. The institute will address how to coach (methods that coaches can use to enable instructional improvements) not what to coach (instructional practices). This workshop is most appropriate for professional developers and other educational professionals who are interested in learning about how to accelerate professional learning in schools. Presenter   Jim Knight has spent more than two decades studying professional learning, effective teaching, and instructional coaching. He is a Research Associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning and the President of the Instructional Coaching Group. Jim has written or co-authored several books including Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction(Corwin, 2007). Knight), edited Coaching: Approaches and Perspectives(Corwin, 2009) and co-authored Coaching Classroom Management(Pacific Northwest Publishing,2010). HisbookUnmistakable Impact: A Partnership Approach to Dramatically Improving Instructionwas chosen as Corwin Press’s 2012 book of the year.  Jim’s newest books are High-Impact Instruction: A Framework or Great Teaching(Corwin, 2013)and Focus on Teaching: Using Video for High-Impact Instruction (Corwin, 2014). Jim’s articles on professional learning, teaching, and instructional coaching have appeared in journals such as “The Journal of Staff Development,” “Principal Leadership,” “The School Administrator,” “Kappan,” and “Educational Leadership.” Frequently asked to lead professional learning, Knight has presented and consulted in most statesand nine other countries. He has a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Kansas and has won several university teaching, innovation, and service awards. Jim also and writes the Radical Learners blog.   About Instructional Coaching Group   The Instructional Coaching Group (ICG) was formed in 2007 by Jim Knight to provide professional learning on instructional coaching for educational organizations, both on-site and through Institutes and Conferences offered at their home base in Lawrence, Kansas. Jim Knight and his associates, who are professional learning consultants, facilitate professional development sessions, consult on topics related to leading instructional change, and provide coaching for instructional coaches.   Investment:   USD 790/- Closing date 1st February 2015   USD 700/- Early Bird offer 1st October 2014 Venue International School of Luxembourg Time 9.00 am to 4.00 pm Registration at 8.30 am on the first day Contact:   Shonal Agarwal CEO Chapters International Email: shonal@chaptersinternational.com chaptersinternational@gmail.com Website: www.chaptersinternational.com