Cognitive Coaching Foundation Seminars

Develop Reflective Educators. Strengthen Instructional Practice. Build Collaborative School Cultures.

Effective teaching begins with effective thinking. Research shows that educators who operate at higher levels of reflection, intentionality, and decision-making produce students who are higher achieving, more cooperative, and better problem solvers.

Cognitive Coaching® is a research-based professional learning model designed to develop educators’ capacity for self-directedness, reflective practice, and purposeful collaboration. Through this internationally recognized framework, participants learn how to support the thinking that drives instructional decisions—leading to stronger teaching, deeper professional growth, and healthier learning communities.

The mission of Cognitive Coaching Seminars® is to develop self-directed individuals with the cognitive capacity for excellence, both independently and as members of a community.

Why Participate?

Cognitive Coaching Foundation Seminars® equip educators with the skills and tools to:

• Foster reflective, self-directed professional practice
• Build trust and rapport in coaching and leadership conversations
• Support continuous improvement through structured reflective dialogue
• Strengthen collaboration across teams and systems
• Develop the coaching mindset and communication skills needed to mediate thinking and build capacity in others

Whether you are coaching teachers, leading teams, mentoring new educators, or supporting system-wide improvement efforts, Cognitive Coaching provides a practical framework for elevating adult learning and professional growth.

Who Should Attend?

This seminar is ideal for:

• Instructional Coaches
• Principals and Assistant Principals
• District and Building Leaders
• Mentor Teachers
• Teacher Leaders
• Professional Learning Facilitators
• Anyone responsible for supporting adult learning and educator growth

About the Seminar

Cognitive Coaching Foundation Seminars® are an intensive eight-day professional learning experience designed to build educators’ capacity to support reflective practice, foster professional growth, and strengthen collaborative learning cultures.

• Days 1–4 focus on the Planning Conversation Map, Reflecting Conversation Map, and foundational tools of Cognitive Coaching℠
• Days 5–8 deepen participants’ practice through skill refinement and the Problem-Resolving Map

Throughout the seminar, participants will learn how to:

• Develop trust and rapport
• Develop an identity as a mediator of thinking
• Utilize conversation structures for planning, reflecting, and problem resolving
• Strengthen teachers’ autonomy and sense of professional community
• Develop higher levels of efficacy, consciousness, craftsmanship, flexibility, and interdependence
• Apply four support functions: coaching, evaluating, consulting, and collaborating
• Use coaching tools such as pausing, paraphrasing, and posing questions
• Distinguish among the five forms of feedback
• Use data to mediate thinking and support reflective practice

Upcoming Program Offerings
 

2026 Cohort

• Days 1–4: August 10–13, 2026
• Days 5–8: November 30–December 3, 2026

2027 Cohort

• Days 1–2: April 15–16, 2027
• Days 3–4: May 5–6, 2027
• Days 5–6: June 17–18, 2027
• Days 7–8: August 18–19, 2027

Registration

Registration for the 2026 Cognitive Coaching Program Offering is now open. Click the button below to register and secure your spot.

Questions?

For questions regarding the Cognitive Coaching Seminar, please contact Megan Papoi, mpapoi@msu.edu.