Several members of the Teaching and Learning Department and I attended the Learning Forward Annual Conference on April 8, 2026, held at ESU 3 in Lavista, Nebraska. The featured speaker was Dr. Jim Knight, Founder and Senior Partner of Instructional Coaching Group. Dr. Knight is a nationally recognized expert in instructional coaching, and this marks the fourth time I have had the opportunity to learn from him during my career at ESU 10. Dr. Knight also served as the keynote speaker for our ESU 10 Strategic Leadership Conference: Better Leaders in June 2021, where he presented his research and work with school leaders.
Last month, I reported on the Cognitive Coaching series our T&L Team has participated in this year. Jim Knight’s instructional coaching model shares several similarities with Cognitive Coaching, while also offering varied approaches. During the conference, Dr. Knight presented his Fast-Track Impact Coaching Cycles model. Our Teaching and Learning team is currently exploring how these two frameworks align and where they can complement one another to strengthen our support for educators.
A key concept from the conference was Fast-Track Impact Coaching Cycles, which is particularly relevant to our work with new teachers and principals who benefit from targeted, individualized support.
This coaching model emphasizes a streamlined, results-oriented cycle built on four core components:
-
Contracting
- Establish clear expectations and roles
- Confirm meeting schedules and commitments between coach and coachee
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Identifying a PEERS Goal
- Effective goals are:
- Powerful
- Easy
- Emotionally Compelling
- Reachable
- Student-focused
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Learn- Modeling and Dialogue
- Instructional modeling in real-time or through video
- Classroom-based support (in-class, co-teaching, or observation)
- Opportunities to observe other effective teachers
- Emphasis on dialogue and explanation of instructional practices
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Improve- Reflective Practice and Planning
- Confirm instructional direction
- Review progress toward goals
- Identify and implement improvements
- Develop ongoing reflective practices
- Utilize structured coaching toolkits
Source: Jim Knight Instructional Coaching Group https://www.instructionalcoaching.com/
During the conference, I was fortunate to receive a free subscription to an online course from the Instructional Coaching Group and Jim Knight. I will be completing Dr. Knight’s course, High-Impact Teaching Strategies, this summer. This course will assist me in connecting Cognitive Coaching and Fast Track Impact Coaching Cycles with evidence-based instructional strategies.
The Learning Forward Conference provided valuable insights that align with and extend our current professional learning efforts. The integration of Fast-Track Coaching Cycles with our existing work in Cognitive Coaching has strong potential to broaden our support for teachers and building leaders.