#coachbetter
Building community in schools through instructional coaching. Wherever you are in your coaching journey, we can support you! Hosted by Kim Cofino, the #coachbetter podcast features inspiring interviews; case studies with coaches; real-life coaching calls; and quick strategic tips that you can put into practice immediately. We turn inspiration into practical reality so you get the clarity you need to move forward confidently - for you as an individual coach and for your coaching program in your school. New episodes every Wednesday!
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Systems & Structures to Support Aspiring Leaders with Lesley Tait & the Leadership Team at Lincoln Community School in Ghana
05/28/2024
Systems & Structures to Support Aspiring Leaders with Lesley Tait & the Leadership Team at Lincoln Community School in Ghana
In this #coachbetter episode, Kim talks with Lesley Tait, Head of School, Lincoln Community School, Ghana. If you’ve been listening to the podcast this year, you know that Christina Botbyl and Kim Cofino recently published their first book together, . Earlier this year, they hosted a podcast launch party to announce the book ( This episode is a perfect follow up to that conversation, because Leslie is an experienced senior leader and she highlights many of the common experiences that women face on their path to leadership (highlighted in the Women Who Lead interviews in our book). On this call they about Leslie’s path to leadership, how (and why) the path to leadership is often different for women than for men, what schools can do to recognize aspiring and growing leaders, and how they can use coaching to support the development of more women leaders in their school community. This episode is a perfect blend of coaching and leadership - if you’re curious about the ways that coaching can grow leaders - and what to expect on the pathway to leadership (as a woman) this episode is for you! Find the show notes for this episode .
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Advice for International Teachers Returning "Home" (#coachbetter celebrations)
05/21/2024
Advice for International Teachers Returning "Home" (#coachbetter celebrations)
It’s that time of year again! If you’re an international school educator, you might be returning back to your passport country - for the indefinite future when this school year ends. Are you thinking about what it might be like to re-patriate? What to expect when you move back home and things aren’t quite what you expected? Then you will love this clip from a previous episode of #coachbetter where Kim spoke to 4 experienced international school educators, Emily, Kristen, Maggie and Diana who had recently moved back to their passport country after a significant time overseas. Kim asked them what one piece of advice they would give others in a similar situation. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Coaching Call: Pivoting & Perfectionism with Paula Plaza-Ponte
05/14/2024
Coaching Call: Pivoting & Perfectionism with Paula Plaza-Ponte
This #coachbetter episode is a special combination case study and coaching call with one of Kim's amazing clients, Paula Plaza-Ponte. These episodes are real client stories - designed to give you a window into the experience and professional growth of coaches around the world. Kim has been working with Paula for many years now, and although she’s no longer working full time in a school, her experience of going through the transition from classroom educator to education-aligned work in a non-profit is a story that deeply resonates with Kim - and we hope it does with you as well! Find the show notes for this episode .
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Why Track Data to Measure Your Impact as a Coach with Kim Cofino and Diana Beabout
05/07/2024
Why Track Data to Measure Your Impact as a Coach with Kim Cofino and Diana Beabout
This #coachbetter episode is all about why tracking data about our practice is so important for instructional coaches. This is a conversation Diana and Kim often have with our participants in and we wanted to share it with you too! This video is designed for current coaches who are building in reflective practices to continue to hone their craft. Find the show notes for this episode .
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A Leadership Perspective: Making Coaching Successful with LaTyia Rolle
04/30/2024
A Leadership Perspective: Making Coaching Successful with LaTyia Rolle
In this #coachbetter episode, Kim talks with LaTyia Rolle, Elementary School Principal at the International School of Brussels. LaTyia “recently” moved from US public schools to international schools and she brings a wealth of experience working with instructional coaches as a school leader. On this call they talk about why coaching is so essential for schools AND school leaders, what makes it successful, in particular what international schools can learn from US public schools, how to help school leaders see the value of instructional coaching, the connection or overlap of coaching and middle level leadership, and what school leaders need to consider as they’re building a coaching culture. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Getting Comfortable with Change: Creating Psychological Safety in Teams with Kawai Lai (#coachbetter celebrations)
04/23/2024
Getting Comfortable with Change: Creating Psychological Safety in Teams with Kawai Lai (#coachbetter celebrations)
This #coachbetter episode is a highlight from one of our previous podcast episodes featuring Kawai Lai. Kawai’s work focuses on helping teams and leaders rethink culture, strategy, and leadership using the power of visuals. This particular clip focuses on creating psychological safety in teams. We're sharing this one because we know that trust and safety are two huge components of building coaching relationships, and we’ve been talking about the ways that instructional coaches are informal leaders in their schools all semester. This one clip gives concrete strategies on how you can create psychological safety with the teams that you work with right now. As a coach, and a leader, building this skill set will be essential in developing your relational leadership Find the show notes for this episode .
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Coaching Case Study: Making the Move from Reactive to Proactive Instructional Coach with Tracey McGillian
04/16/2024
Coaching Case Study: Making the Move from Reactive to Proactive Instructional Coach with Tracey McGillian
This #coachbetter episode is another in our series of coaching case studies, with one of Kim's amazing clients, Tracey McGillian. 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. Tracey is a graduate of The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program, and Kim has been working with (and the rest of the coaching team at her school in Pennsylvania) for several years. In this conversation Kim and Tracey talk about the evolution of the coaching program at PASD, and her own personal growth as a Tech Coach. Tracey made a big switch in her mindset and professional practice as a coach - from being reactive to being proactive - during her time in The Coach and that was a huge game changer for her! Find the show notes for this episode .
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Why School Leaders Need Coaching Too! with Kristen Moreland
04/09/2024
Why School Leaders Need Coaching Too! with Kristen Moreland
In this #coachbetter episode, Kristen is talking about why school leaders need coaching and to help them understand why and how coaching can be impactful for them too!. If you’ve been a longtime listener of the podcast or our #coachbetter quicktips, you know that one of the questions we almost always ask of school leaders is how can we help other school leaders understand the value of instructional coaching. The answer is ALWAYS get them as close to the process of coaching as possible - and the best way to do that is to actually BE coached. When you have the experience of working with a coach, and you see the impact it can have on your professional growth, that is the deepest kind of “aha” moment about the value of coaching for all educators that you can have. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Coaching Case Study: The Power of Intentionally Slowing Down Coaching Conversations with Sasha Robins
04/02/2024
Coaching Case Study: The Power of Intentionally Slowing Down Coaching Conversations with Sasha Robins
This #coachbetter episode is another in our series of coaching case studies, with one of Kim's amazing clients, Sasha Robbins. We're so excited to share this episode with Sasha with you, because Sasha and Kim have been working together since 2019! 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. Sasha is an instructional coach at Al-Bayan Bilingual School in Kuwait and recently, on a coaching call they were talking about how Sasha has been working to intentionally slow down her coaching conversations and the impact that is having on the quality of work she and her coaching partners are able to do. This is a powerful conversation about the ways that experienced coaches can deepen the work they do with their coaching partners. And it’s a strong demonstration of Sasha’s growth as an instructional coach over the time that we’ve been working together. Find the show notes for this episode .
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What I Wish I Knew Before I Became an Instructional Coach with The Coach Mentors (#coachbetter celebrations)
03/26/2024
What I Wish I Knew Before I Became an Instructional Coach with The Coach Mentors (#coachbetter celebrations)
This #coachbetter episodea highlight is from one of our previous podcast episodes featuring our The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program Mentors. We're sharing this clip from this episode right now because we’ve been talking about the ways that instructional coaches are leaders in their schools all semester - and this specific clip highlights some of the surprises that instructional coaches may face when first moving into a coaching role. No matter how experienced you are as an educator, there are new skills to learn when you become a coach - and our four mentors are going to tell you about those skills in this clip! Find the show notes for this episode .
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Introducing the Association for the Advancement of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (AAICIS)
03/19/2024
Introducing the Association for the Advancement of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (AAICIS)
We have an extra special #coachbetter episode! It’s our virtual launch party for the brand new non-profit organization that we’ve been building for the last year: the ! If you’re an instructional coach in international schools, you know that coaching can look vastly different at different schools - and you might find yourself advocating for, and building coaching programs at every school you move to. Instructional coaching is such a nuanced and complex role - both within your individual coaching practice and at the programmatic level. And moving from school to school in our international context makes it even more complex! Both instructional coaches and school leaders need to be involved in this conversation - and it needs to be specific for international schools - that’s why we founded AAICIS! Eduro Learning is proud to be a founding partner of AAICIS. To find out more about our organization, and to join the conversation about instructional coaching in international schools, head over to our website at Find the show notes for this episode .
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Creating a Sustainable Coaching Culture with Kim Cofino
03/12/2024
Creating a Sustainable Coaching Culture with Kim Cofino
In #coachbetter video, Kim talks about creating a sustainable coaching culture - and what systems and structures are either supporting or hindering coaching sustainability in your school context. This video is designed for experienced coaches who are ready to start thinking about how they can further develop their coaching practice. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Untangling Instructional Coaching, Evaluation & Appraisal with Samantha Olson-Wyman and Stephanie Cifuentes
03/05/2024
Untangling Instructional Coaching, Evaluation & Appraisal with Samantha Olson-Wyman and Stephanie Cifuentes
In this #coachbetter episode, Kim talks with Samantha Olson-Wyman, Curriculum, Teaching & Learning Specialist and Stephanie Cifuentes, Lower School Principal at the American School of Guatemala. Both Sam and Stephanie are former instructional coaches so this episode is such a special opportunity to look at the macro lens of coaching with school leaders who deeply understand the micro view too! We're so excited to share this episode with you because whenever we get the chance to speak with school leaders who are former coaches, we know we’re going to be able to go deep about the value of coaching and the actual logistics and structures needed to make it happen - and this conversation does exactly that! Find the show notes for this episode .
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What Makes Coaching Work with Laura Lipton (#coachbetter Celebrations)
02/27/2024
What Makes Coaching Work with Laura Lipton (#coachbetter Celebrations)
When you’re working on building a coaching culture and a coaching program, you know that you need systems and structures in place to make it sustainable. In this post, we're highlighting three elements of your coaching culture that you may want to examine - so you can both measure the impact you’re making and define the systems and structures needed to continue to grow. This is a highlight from one of Kim's favorite episodes from a previous season, featuring Laura Lipton. If you’re a longtime #coachbetter listener, you know that Kim often references Laura’s work, particularly the . Since we’re focusing on coaches as leaders right now, we want to share this clip where Laura talks about the big picture of what makes coaching work from a school-wide perspective. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Coaching Call: Designing Systemic Solutions to Complex Problems with Cary Hart
02/20/2024
Coaching Call: Designing Systemic Solutions to Complex Problems with Cary Hart
This #coachbetter episode is part of our series featuring coaching conversations with one of Kim's amazing clients, Cary Hart, who is a graduate of all 3 of our Certificate Programs: COETAIL, The Coach, and Women Who Lead. HUGE thank you to Cary for being willing to record one of her coaching sessions to share with all of you! In Kim and Cary's conversation, you’re going to hear how having a coach from outside of your school community can take a very complicated situation, with a lot of layers, detail, and complexity, and through targeted questions, paraphrasing and intentional focus, surface a simple and systemic solution. The challenge Cary presents in this call is one that, if you’ve been a tech coach in particular, will be very familiar to you, so some aspects of the solution here might be immediately applicable to your school setting, too. You'll notice the ways that Cary was able to share the different dynamics of her challenge, and through Kim's paraphrasing, questioning, and identifying the root of the issue, they were able to move onto a deeper discussion of potential solutions that address all of the layers to this challenge that Cary’s been struggling with. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Scaling Your Impact with Kim Cofino
02/13/2024
Scaling Your Impact with Kim Cofino
In this #coachbetter episode, Kim talks about scaling your impact as an instructional coach. If you’ve been a coach for several years, you know that you can’t keep working exclusively 1:1 with coaching partners - it’s a ticket to burnout! The reality is that there will never be enough time in the day (or coaches on staff) to support every teacher at the 1:1 level. Once you start finding yourself booked out and busy, with a schedule full of coaching cycles, it’s time to start scaling your impact and start working with groups or teams. This way you can leverage your time and support teaching and learning in even more classrooms than you are already! If you are ready to make this shift, this episode is for you! Find the show notes for this episode .
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Making Instructional Coaching Sustainable with Ellen and Bruce Eisenberg
02/06/2024
Making Instructional Coaching Sustainable with Ellen and Bruce Eisenberg
In this #coachbetter episode, Kim talks with Ellen and Bruce Eisenberg, founders of . As founders of The Professional Institute for Instructional Coaching Ellen and Bruce come with a wealth of experience in building sustainable instructional coaching programs in schools around the world. On this call they are talking about the research behind instructional coaching, how to collect data to measure your impact, the enabling conditions that make coaching work and the systems and structures that need to be in place to make coaching sustainable. This episode is full of big-picture thinking about what it takes to make coaching successful and sustainable in schools. If you are curious about the systems and structures that make coaching successful, this episode is for you. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Advocating for the Work of Coaching with Your School Leaders with Joellen Killion (#coachbetter celebrations)
01/30/2024
Advocating for the Work of Coaching with Your School Leaders with Joellen Killion (#coachbetter celebrations)
This #coachbetter episode is part of of our new special series, #coachbetter Celebrations. To celebrate our 5 years of the podcast (and over 200 episodes), each month we’re highlighting a short clip from one of our favorite episodes from a previous season. This is a highlight from one of Kim's favorite episodes from a previous season. If you’re a longtime #coachbetter listener, you know that Joellen Killion is her instructional coaching superhero, and Joellen's episode from a few seasons ago was a masterclass in all things instructional coaching. Since we’re focusing on coaches as leaders right now, sharing this clip where Joellen explains how coaches can directly advocate for the work of coaching would be well worth repeating. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Coaching Case Study: Developing a Coaching Program from Scratch with Nicola Millard
01/23/2024
Coaching Case Study: Developing a Coaching Program from Scratch with Nicola Millard
This #coachbetter episode is another in our series of coaching case studies, with one of our amazing The Coach graduates, Nicola Milward. 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. At the time of recording, Nicola was Instructional Coach at IPS Hilversum, the Netherlands and she had just graduated from The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program. In this episode Kim and Nicola talk about how Nicola built the coaching program at her school from scratch - starting with pitching the position of instructional coach, all the way through multiple years of implementation. They talk about what coaching looked like when it first started, how it changed over time, what challenges she faced, and her “aha’ moments in her coaching practice and in The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Essential Conditions for Coaching Success with Diana Beabout
01/16/2024
Essential Conditions for Coaching Success with Diana Beabout
In this #coachbetter video, Diana talks about the Essential Conditions for Instructional Coaching to be successful. This episode is so powerful because the success of instructional coaching as a program or a culture goes well beyond what one individual coach can do. As experienced coaches, we need to look at the bigger picture of the culture of the school to see what might be supporting or hindering the success of building the coaching program. Diana will share some specific prompts to help you think about which of these conditions your school already has - and the ones you might need to work on developing. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Book Launch Celebration: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership with authors Kim Cofino & Christina Botbyl
01/09/2024
Book Launch Celebration: Finding Your Path as a Woman in School Leadership with authors Kim Cofino & Christina Botbyl
This is a very special #coachbetter episode! This is the podcast launch party for Kim and Christina's new book: . Kim and Christina are interviewed by four of their early readers of the book: Alexandra Gustad, Rania Saeb, Sarah Plews, and Uzay Ashton, all amazing educational leaders in their own right. These four women, along with their other early readers (they had 15 readers of the book before they submitted their manuscript) gave them vital feedback and encouragement along the path of completing the book. Kim and Christina are so grateful to all of their readers, editors, and supporters as they completed this project over the last year. In this episode they are sharing some of the behind-the-scenes stories of writing the book, what readers can expect to get out of the book, and their hopes as they put this work out into the world! Find the show notes for this episode .
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Exploring the “Messy Middle” of an Instructional Coaching Journey with the Alumni Team
12/12/2023
Exploring the “Messy Middle” of an Instructional Coaching Journey with the Alumni Team
In this #coachbetter episode, Kim talks with Cary Hart and Paula Plaza-Ponte, both experienced coaches and members of The Coach Alumni group They chat about the challenges that coaches go through as they “level up” in their career. We tend to focus a lot on the needs of new coaches, or the process of building a coaching culture. This episode is about what the journey is like once you're an experienced coach. They talk about the unexpected challenges, the ways that coaches often lack support in their schools, and the importance of honoring self-care, process time, and potentially a pivot away from schools as you navigate the “messy middle” of a coaching journey. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Skills for Experienced Coaches with The Coach Mentors (#coachbetter celebrations)
12/05/2023
Skills for Experienced Coaches with The Coach Mentors (#coachbetter celebrations)
In this #coachbetter episode, we have another episode in our new special series, #coachbetter celebrations. To celebrate our 5 years of the podcast (and over 200 episodes), each month we’re highlighting a short clip from one of our favorite episodes from a previous season. This episode features our mentors from The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program, Diana, Maggie and Kristen, talking about the ways that experienced coaches can continue to #coachbetter and take their coaching skills to the next level. We're resharing this clip from the conversation because sometimes, as experienced coaches, we’re not actually sure what we need to do to develop our practice. We can be so close to the work we’re doing that we can’t see the big picture. Find the show notes for this episode .
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Building a Culture of Coaching with Carla Marschall
11/28/2023
Building a Culture of Coaching with Carla Marschall
In this #coachbetter episode, Kim talks with Carla Marschall, Director of Dresden International School in Germany. Carla brings a systems-thinking view to everything she does, and the implementation of coaching in her school is no exception. On this call, they talk about how Carla is working to create a coaching culture, communicate the vision, put structures and policies in place to make it successful, and why coaching is so essential in our schools. This episode is full of big picture thinking about how to develop a coaching program from scratch. If you are curious about the systems and structures that make coaching successful, this episode is for you! Find the show notes for this episode .
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Adult Cultures Matter with Kristen Moreland
11/21/2023
Adult Cultures Matter with Kristen Moreland
In this #coachbetter episode, Kristen Moreland is sharing A More Human Approach to Leadership. If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you know we believe coaches are leaders in their community. We might not have the formal title of leader, but we are fulfilling many informal leadership roles in our work as coaches. In this episode, Kristen invites you to explore the ways that you can elevate your leadership in your work as a coach, every day! Find the show notes for this episode .
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Coaching Call: Balancing Coaching with PYP Coordination with Marcie Lewis
11/14/2023
Coaching Call: Balancing Coaching with PYP Coordination with Marcie Lewis
This #coachbetter episode is part of our special series featuring real-life coaching conversations. This conversation was with one of Kim's amazing clients, Marcie Lewis, who, at the time of recording, was in the global cohort of The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program. HUGE thank you to Marcie for being willing to record this session to share with all of you! Marcie is a PYP (Primary Years Programme) Coordinator in her school and she wants to bring more of a coaching lens to the role. In this conversation, Kim and Marcie are focusing on how to broaden the scope of her role to include more coaching conversations around teaching and learning - and less around PYP documentation and accountability. Find the show notes for this episode .
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4 Job Hunting Tips for International School Instructional Coaches or Leaders (#coachbetter celebrations)
11/07/2023
4 Job Hunting Tips for International School Instructional Coaches or Leaders (#coachbetter celebrations)
To celebrate our 5 years of the podcast (and over 200 episodes), each month we’re highlighting a short clip from one of our favorite episodes from a previous season. On this episode (see original ), Kim asked our panel of guests to share just one tip about recruitment and they were all so powerful that we want to share just that segment with you here! You’ll hear Cary Hart, Ian Craig, Jordan Benedict, and Annalee Higgenbottom share their one tip for this year’s recruiting season rapid fire. If this is the year you’re job-hunting, this episode is for you! (And make sure you also catch our previous QuickTips mini-series with Diana Beabout featuring our & the too!
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The Importance of Defining the Purpose of Coaching with Ji Han
10/31/2023
The Importance of Defining the Purpose of Coaching with Ji Han
In this #coachbetter episode, Kim talks with Ji Han, Associate Director of School Evaluation and Support at the Council of International Schools (CIS) about the power of coaching in schools and why we believe it’s so essential to creating a growth-minded culture. Ji has so much experience as an accreditor, and her own experience as a school administrator that we focus on what makes coaching successful (or not) based on her many school visits. We highlight some of the challenges that international schools face when implementing coaching programs and why defining the role and finding clarity is so essential for coaching to be successful. This episode highlights the importance of the first phase of the Thrive Model: Finding Clarity, and how through that clarity you can build a coaching culture. If you are curious about how to develop a culture of coaching, from the admin perspective, this episode is for you! Find the show notes for this episode .
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3 Ways to Find Clarity in Your Instructional Coaching Role with Diana Beabout
10/24/2023
3 Ways to Find Clarity in Your Instructional Coaching Role with Diana Beabout
In this #coachbetter episode, Diana Beabout is sharing 3 Ways to Find Clarity in Your Coaching Role. In a previous QuickTips episode Kim talked about - in this video, Diana is going to guide you through three ways to do exactly that! Find the show notes for this episode .
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Coaching Call: Moving from Classroom to Coach with Danieal Longenetti
10/17/2023
Coaching Call: Moving from Classroom to Coach with Danieal Longenetti
This #coachbetter episode is part of our special series featuring real-life coaching conversations with one of Kim's amazing clients, Danieal Longanetti, who, at the time of recording, had just accepted a coaching position for the following school year. HUGE thank you to Danieal for being willing to record this session to share with all of you! We're so excited to share this conversation with you because the topics Danieal and Kim talk about are exactly the kind of questions that we get asked all the time, particularly from experienced classroom teachers who are moving into a coaching role for the first time. In fact, this exact conversation is what prompted Danieal to join our course for new coaches called Getting Started as an Instructional Coach! Find the show notes for this episode .
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