Dr. Jim Knight's Canadian Instructional Coaching Workshop

Dr. Jim Knight, Founder and Senior Partner of Instructional Coaching Group (ICG), is also a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He has spent more than two decades studying professional learning and instructional coaching.

Jim earned his PhD in Education from the University of Kansas and has won several university teaching, innovation, and service awards. The pioneering work Jim and his colleagues have conducted has led to many innovations that are now central to professional development in schools.

Jim wrote the first major article about instructional coaching for the Journal of Staff Development, and his book Instructional Coaching (2007) offered the first extended description
of instructional coaching. Jim’s book Focus on Teaching (2014) was the first extended description of how video should be used for professional learning. Recently, writing with Ann Hoffman, Michelle Harris, and Sharon Thomas, Jim introduced the idea of instructional playbooks with their book on that topic. Jim has written several books in addition to those described above, including Unmistakable Impact (2011), High-Impact Instruction (2013), Better Conversations (2015), The Impact Cycle (2018), The Definitive Guide to Instructional Coaching (2021), Data Rules (2024), and The IC Toolkit (2024).

Jim has also authored articles on instructional coaching and professional learning in publications such as “Educational Leadership”, “The Journal of Staff Development”, “Principal Leadership”, “The School Administrator”, and “Kappan”. Jim is also a columnist for “Educational Leadership”.

Through ICG, Jim conducts coaching workshops, hosts “Coaching Conversations” podcast, and provides consulting for coaching programs around the world.

Sonja is an experienced educator, school leader, and coach who has supported students and teachers across Canada, Ethiopia, and Australia for over 14 years. Based in Toronto, she is a Consultant at Instructional Coaching Group (ICG). Sonja is dedicated to advancing coaching and effective professional learning in education so that students, teachers, and school leaders everywhere have the support they need to flourish.

A certified coach with Growth Coaching International, Sonja holds the European Mentoring and Coaching Council’s Global Accreditation at the Practitioner level. She is a Senior Mentor Coach and facilitator with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Mentorship Program at the University of Toronto.

Guided by values of respect, kindness, and empathy, Sonja sees the best in others and believes in the limitless potential of every individual she serves. Outside of work, she loves fitness, time with family and friends, cheering on local sports teams, and is on a mission to keep her plants alive!