Jim Thompson

Jim Thompson is an educator and instructional coach who specializes in using video coaching to improve professional learning for teachers. In interviews about his practice, he has described how he began integrating video into instructional coaching as a response to limitations in traditional professional development and now focuses on helping teachers use video-based guided reflection to enhance their craft. He is frequently associated with a highly positive, growth-oriented approach to coaching and has emphasized the importance of confidential, non-evaluative, trust-based professional learning environments.

Thompson is the coauthor of A Quick Guide to Video Coaching: The best practice to improve the art and craft of teaching through guided reflection, written with Casey Kosiorek, which provides practical guidance for implementing video coaching in schools. He is also connected to the broader body of resources supporting new and early-career teachers, including work aligned with The First-Year Teacher’s Survival Guide: Ready-to-Use Strategies, Tools & Activities for Meeting the Challenges of Each School Day, a long-standing professional resource for novice educators.