Video coaching to level-up professional learning | A conversation with Jim Thompson

Jim Thompson, an educator and instructional coach who has been referred to as the most positive person in education talks to me today about how to improve professional development using video coaching. We discuss:

• ·Jim’s early career
• What we’re doing with PD ain’t working so Jim started with instructional coaching and using video
• The difference between professional development and professional learning
• Good professional learning does not look like yearly principal evaluations
• COVID has lowered barriers to introducing video as PD tool
• How to bring in video coaching into your school – using relationships to generate buy-in
• Recommended reading
• Examples of using ‘selfies’
• Enhancing your leadership using video reflection

Key Quotes

“Something isn't right. I said, if our goal is to help people, help teachers advance student success and wellbeing, and if perhaps our greater goal that in this process that we help us all to become better versions of ourselves, what we're doing ain't working. But we keep doing it year after year.

“We have a growing and tragic teacher shortage. People are not going into this field. They don't want to go into the field. And the folks that we invite into the field and become teachers: a lot of them don't stay.”

“This doesn’t require a million dollars in investment. It just requires a will and a desire to look at something that might be more helpful than what we're already doing.”

“Life isn't a linear progression of success after success after success.”

“Growth happens when it's confidential, non-evaluative and there's trust.”

“How honored do you think teachers feel with a 20-minute unannounced visit? You think a brain surgeon would advance their profession with a 20-minute unannounced visit from their colleagues. This is crazy, isn't it? But we keep doing it year after year.”

Links mentioned by Jim

Teaching Learning Conference 2023, Orlando, FL

CollectivED The Centre for Mentoring, Coaching and Professional Learning

Prof. Christian van Nieuwerburgh, Growth Coaching International

A quick guide to video coaching by Jim Thompson & Casey Kosiorek

The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching: Seven Factors for Success, by Jim Knight

Radical Learners: Online self-paced Instructional Coaching courses

You can find Jim on Twitter using his handle @schoolguy

I’m on Twitter and Instagram with the handle @leaningshane.

You can also follow me on LinkedIn and Youtube.

Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensive

Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.

You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com

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