Getting Started as an Instructional Coach
Make the move from classroom to coaching as easy as possible!
Online course & community designed for new & aspiring coaches!
Are you just getting started as an instructional coach?
The move from a classroom position to a coaching role can be tricky because there are so many challenging elements to being a coach that are not part of classroom teaching.
New coaches are often surprised that they are expected to:
- lead without being a formal leader
- see the big picture, often without having all the puzzle pieces
- inspire your colleagues without having a class of your own
- be the connection between teachers and leaders, without really being part of either team
Hi! I'm Kim!
After working as an instructional coach in international schools for 15 years, and then mentoring aspiring, new and growing coaches in the Thrive Coaching Certificate since 2016, I know that being a coach can feel like you’re in the “messy middle”.
As a coach, you’re no longer in the classroom with really clearly defined expectations, but you’re also not a school leader, with clearly defined authority. This gray area is new for most classroom teachers.
You are learning and building new leadership skills that stem from your expertise as a classroom teacher, and can definitely be the bridge to a leadership position, but you’re in a gray area as a coach.
It’s not always easy to make this transition, and there are some key strategies you can apply to feel confident, calm and capable – even in your first year as an instructional coach!
Here's why you need to take Getting Started as an Instructional Coach!
Often, when new coaches are hired, they’re not told about the key mindset and skillset shifts they need to be successful in their role.
Most new coaches I work with weren’t prepared for the fact that…
- you're moving into an informal leadership role - even if you don't feel like a leader
- colleagues will perceive you differently - even if you're working in the same school
- you need to be prepared to advocate for coaching - with teachers & school leaders
- you might not have a team to support you - like you did in your classroom role
- coaching conversations are different than any other professional conversation you've had before - it's essential to know how & why so you can prepare
- working in a non-teaching role requires a different set of skills - to successfully manage the busy and competing demands of a coaching role
These are problems that could derail your coaching success from the beginning, they’re difficult to deal with on your own, and they’re exactly what this course was designed to help you overcome – before they become a problem!
Get to the core of what you need to be successful!
Everything you need to make the move from classroom to coach!
Focused on six key areas that often catch new coaches by surprise, you’ll leave this course well-prepared for your first year(s) as an instructional coach. Without a shift in all these areas included in the course, most new instructional coaches struggle in their early years!
Not knowing much about instructional coaching but wanting to know, this foundational course has it all. Kim Cofino, with all her experience in coaching and knowledge in this area is comprehensive and offers a wide array of resources to refer to above and beyond what I had expected. I highly recommend anyone thinking about learning more about the concept of coaching to definitely sign up for this course. You will be completely inspired !
Angela Mee Lee
International Educator
The Eduro team are experts in creating sustainable, cost-effective professional learning. Their collaborative approach enables schools to customize and co-create bespoke learning experiences that lead to measurable impact.
Christina Botbyl
Curriculum Director, AIS Kuwait
What's inside?
This course will help you make the transition from classroom to coach as smoothly as possible! You’ll make the key mindset and skillset shifts you need to make to be successful in your first year in a coaching role. After this course, you’ll be prepared to join the Thrive Coaching Certificate!
Access the Syllabus for ALL the details!
Designed for classroom teachers moving (or hoping to move) into a coaching role!
Get the Syllabus!
Find out what you’ll learn in the course, including:
- an overview of the course & outcomes
- each of the key themes & topics included
- weekly schedule for the global cohort
If you need to get a thorough vision of what instructional coaching is, and the different aspects that it involves, this course is for you. You will have access to updated and meaningful resources that will give you the opportunity to learn and to reflect about the complex and rich world of instructional coaching. You will also have the support of Kim Cofino, who will be always available to give you feedback, and to check on you as you navigate and make progress through each of the units in which this course is organized.
Ana Cristina Lopez
International Educator
By the end of the course, you'll...
Understand Coaching
You’ll know what coaching is, and isn’t. You’ll how it works in practice and why all schools should have coaches
Recognize YOUR Leadership
You’ll see how and why coaches can leverage the power of influential leadership – and how you can do it too!
Be a Strategic Relationship Builder
You’ll know how and why you need to intentionally and strategically build relationships with all stakeholders in your school community
Be a Coaching Advocate
You’ll understand why and how you may need to advocate for the role of coaches with teachers, school leaders & other community stakeholders!
Navigate Coaching Conversations
You’ll learn how and why coaching conversations are different than any other conversations you’ve had with colleagues before – and how to be prepared to navigate them!
Manage & Prioritize Your Time
You’ll discover how to managing your time and your energy as a coach when you no longer have the structured schedule of a classroom teacher.
Before taking the course I was struggling with everything about moving into a coaching role. It felt very overwhelming to not know what is coming. What and how to define my role. How to build a culture of coaching in a school that does not have a coaching model. How to be prepared and ready. Now I feel at peace with needing to take things slow and work toward a common goal and understanding of coaching. I feel much more confident in starting my new role as a coach!
Danieal Longanetti
International Educator
It's not just a course - it's a community!
How does the community work?
Office Hours (optional)
Four (4) 20-min sessions with Kim to get all your questions answered!
These optional sessions are available to discuss anything related to coaching – within the course, and beyond. Sessions are bookable using Calendly – so you can fit these meetings into your schedule whenever works for you! Times display in your time zone to make them easy to book.
Real Time Community Calls (optional)
Learning doesn’t happen in isolation! Connect with other course participants in our global cohort calls.
These optional sessions are available at multiple time zones designed to meet the needs of our global participants.
Sessions are designed to support you in building your personal learning network, and discuss your learning with other community members.
Note: no real-time meetings are required to complete the course. They are offered as an option to provide the highest quality level of service for our amazing participants!
Hear From Our Graduates
Course Details & Pricing
Registration Opens: 6-15 Nov 2026
Program Runs : 30 Nov 2026 - 14 Feb 2027
Price: $650
Immediate access as soon as you purchase:
- content designed specifically for new coaches (the perfect lead-in for the Thrive Coaching Certificate)
- private course community for asynchronous connection with global cohort community
- personal support with 4 office hours sessions with Kim
- four real-time global cohort calls during the course
- access to all course content for self-paced learning