This #coachbetter episode is another in our series of coaching case studies, with one of Kim’s amazing clients, Tina Peiji. Tina is a highly experienced coach, a graduate of The Coach Certificate and Mentorship Program and Coaches as Leaders. At the time of recording, she had just graduated from Coaches as Leaders. Tina is also an essential member of the AAICIS A-Team!

These case study episodes are designed to share the story of a coach, and the development of their coaching program and practice in their unique setting.

Tina is currently digging into how to develop a coaching program at her school – from the leadership level. After developing strong coaching skills in her previous schools, she now has the opportunity to think about how she can embrace her leadership to build a school-wide coaching program.

In this episode Tina and Kim talk about…

The differences in the ways coaching has been implemented in the schools Tina has worked at
The key elements schools coaches and leaders need to be aware of when building a coaching culture
What coaches need to consider when starting in a new school
How experienced coaches can continue to grow
Her recommendations for all coaches

Connect with our Featured Guest

Tina @

See All Podcast Episodes

Subscribe to #coachbetter via your favorite Podcast Player!

Bonus! Watch the Spotlight Version on YouTube!

Show Notes

Please tell us about your journey as an educator and coach

Hi Kim, thank you for having me on the Coach Better Podcast. I truly appreciate the opportunity to share my journey and be part of this meaningful conversation.

Over the past 22 years, I’ve had the privilege of working as an educator and instructional coach in a variety of international school settings across five countries. I began my teaching journey in the Philippines, and have since taught in Turkey, Vietnam, India, and supported online learning in China during the pandemic.

I’m currently based in Mumbai, I serve as the Digital Learning and Innovation Coach at Oberoi International School, where I partner with and coach educators to enhance teaching and learning. I’m passionate about collaborative coaching, reflective practice, and designing engaging, adaptive learning environments that inspire both teachers and students.

As you move from school to school, what have you learned about coaching? What continues to surprise you about the way coaching is implemented in different settings?

One thing I’ve learned is that coaching is deeply contextual, it is unique in every school. Each school has its own culture, systems, and readiness for coaching. What works in one place might not translate directly to another. I’ve also seen that coaching can sometimes be misunderstood—as a performance evaluation or as something only for teachers who need “fixing.” What continues to surprise me is how differently coaching is valued and structured across schools, even within international settings. There’s still a lot of work to be done to embed coaching as a culture rather than a role or initiative.

How do you navigate the entirely new / different context in each school when you move?

Being a coach at a new school is about connecting with people on an individual level. Finding commonalities and ways to connect with them individually. Even defining my role as a coach is unique for each person. My vision is to highlight each person so that person will shine, be empowered, seen as someone who has something to offer.

Difference between a tech facilitator / being an expert as a coach

I adjust my role based on the needs of the teacher: consultant, collaborator, coach. Being able to switch my stance to what my coaching partner needs is an essential skill.

Thinking about our context in international schools, what are some key elements that schools, coaches and leaders really need to be aware of when working towards building a coaching culture?

Clarity: Building a coaching culture in international schools demands a highly intentional and strategic approach. Unlike national school systems, international schools are often diverse in terms of student populations, faculty backgrounds, and curricula, which makes it even more important to establish a shared understanding of what coaching is—and isn’t. Coaching in this context is not about evaluation or fixing teachers; it’s about empowering educators through reflective dialogue, collaborative problem-solving, and personalized professional growth.

Leadership plays a crucial role. School leaders must model vulnerability, openness to feedback, and a growth mindset. When leaders engage in coaching themselves, they send a powerful message that learning is for everyone. This helps normalize coaching and positions it as a valued part of school culture rather than an intervention or a remedial measure.

For coaches, building trust is foundational. Before diving into strategies or frameworks, coaches need to take time to establish relational trust with teachers. This means honoring the teacher’s voice, acknowledging expertise, and being genuinely curious about their context and challenges. Coaching can only be effective when it’s built on a foundation of mutual respect and a safe space to share.

At the systems level, schools need to ensure that coaching is aligned with broader school strategic intent, yet still flexible enough to support teacher agency and personalized pathways. One-size-fits-all approaches rarely work in the dynamic environments of international schools. Embedding coaching within Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), providing structured time for collaboration, and creating supportive conditions where teachers feel safe to experiment and reflect are all critical.

Moreover, coaching is not a quick fix—it’s a long-term mindset shift. It requires a sustained commitment from the entire school community. A clear vision, ongoing communication, and continued investment in coaching capacity are essential to maintain momentum.

Finally, coaches and leaders should consider joining professional communities to stay connected and inspired. One I highly recommend is AAICIS – the Association for the Advancement of Instructional Coaching in International Schools. While many established coaching networks tend to focus on U.S.-based systems, AAICIS is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of international schools. Though relatively new, it already offers valuable resources like the Conditions for Success, a foundational White Paper, and a set of Principles of Practice that guide effective coaching in diverse international contexts. Connecting with like-minded educators through AAICIS can be an excellent way to build capacity, stay updated, and ensure that your coaching practices remain relevant and impactful.

You can learn more and join the community at www.aaicis.org.

As an experienced coach in a new school, what are some things that coaches need to consider when starting in a new school?

When stepping into a new school as a coach, it’s essential to start by listening and observing. Every school has its own unique culture, language, and rhythm—and taking time to truly understand it is key. It can be tempting to dive in and start “doing” right away, especially when you’re passionate about coaching. But real impact begins with building relationships and trust. Get to know the people, listen to their experiences, and understand their needs before offering solutions.

Rather than arriving with a preset agenda, aim to co-create goals with teachers, respecting their autonomy and expertise. Coaching works best when it’s a partnership, not a prescription. Also, be transparent about your role—many teachers may have had different experiences with coaching in the past. Clarifying your purpose and boundaries helps reduce resistance and fosters trust from the start.

Another key step is to identify allies—those who are open to collaboration and can help you navigate the informal networks within the school. These early champions can model the coaching relationship and help build momentum across the community.

If I may, I’d like to highlight five key conditions from a broader framework that has been instrumental in shaping effective coaching cultures in international schools. These come from the Conditions for Success, developed by the Association for the Advancement of Instructional Coaching in International Schools (AAICIS)—a valuable resource for any coach entering a new school environment.

While there are 13 conditions in total, here are the top five I believe are most crucial when starting out in a new school:

Shared Vision and Clarity of Purpose – All stakeholders, including teachers, coaches, and administrators, have a shared understanding of what instructional coaching is and how it aligns with the school’s overall goals.
Culture of Coaching – The school community values and advocates for coaching as a means of professional growth and reflective practice.
Leadership Support – School leaders actively support and engage in coaching initiatives, setting the tone for school-wide buy-in.
Time and Resources – Coaches and teachers need protected time and access to resources to engage in meaningful coaching work.
Clear Coaching Model – A well-defined model or framework ensures that everyone understands the goals, processes, and expectations around coaching.

Focusing on these foundational elements can significantly ease the transition into a new school and help lay the groundwork for a sustainable and impactful coaching culture. Once these are in place, the other conditions naturally begin to fall into alignment.

What’s YOUR level of coaching mastery?

All coaches go through various stages of coaching mastery. Once you identify where you’re at, you can begin to build the skills needed to move to the next stage.

This quiz is based on real-life case studies compiled from years of working with coaches inside The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program!

When you receive your results, you’ll also get your matching case study from the STRIVE Case Studies to see where you fit in the stages of coaching mastery.

Ready to tackle your challenges and move on to the next level in YOUR coaching practice?

The STRIVE Model of Coaching Mastery quiz will help you identify your level of coaching mastery by matching you with case studies compiled from years of working with coaches inside The Coach Certificate & Mentorship Program so you can easily see where you fit!

TAKE THE QUIZ!

You’ll go straight to the Quiz, and get the Case Study Document via email.

Show Notes continued…

As an experienced coach, how are you continuing to grow in your role this year?

When I did CAL, I realized that I already have the capacity, but can I be consistent? You might have the clarity, but how do we make the experience more consistent for the entire learning community? And then, how are we going to celebrate the work that we are doing?

The last artifact I created for CAL is my coaching compass. How am I nurturing myself so that I can nurture others: leaders, educators, students, parents. How am I setting up a space so they are empowered AND how do I look after myself so that I can ensure that I have the capacity to lead. I loved how in CAL there was a section about wellbeing, it’s an important reminder that we have to take

This year, I’ve taken a more intentional approach to refining my coaching practice—focusing particularly on enhancing the quality of my conversations through active listening, purposeful paraphrasing, and asking deeper, more reflective questions. My efforts have been centered on building teacher capacity, with the goal of empowering educators to support one another through peer mentoring. I’ve also been encouraging them to gradually explore and adopt various coaching stances—starting with consulting and collaborating, and eventually moving toward a more coaching-oriented approach as their confidence grows.

This shift not only enhances professional learning across teams but also encourages a more sustainable, school-wide culture of coaching where teachers feel confident both giving and receiving feedback.

I remain actively involved with AAICIS (Association for the Advancement of Instructional Coaching in International Schools), a vibrant community of international coaches that provides valuable resources and collaborative opportunities. As part of my ongoing growth, I’ve been developing an action plan based on the Coaches as Leaders course. One significant outcome of that work is the Principal-Coach Agreement, which I’ve started drafting and will continue refining with my Principal in the coming academic year.

Our shared goal is to ensure that the coaching program directly supports the strategic direction of the primary division, fostering a culture of shared leadership, professional growth, and continuous improvement.

As a graduate of The Coach AND CAL how have those courses supported you in your professional growth?

The Coach gave me the structure, tools, and confidence to build coaching relationships grounded in trust and clarity. It really helped me find my identity as a coach.

Coaches as Leaders (CAL)— has been a game-changer. It’s helped me shift from being a coach within a system to becoming a systems thinker who leads with empathy and vision. CAL gave me the mindset and strategies to elevate coaching from a role to a culture-building force.

One of my key takeaways from CAL was developing my Coaching Compass, which gave me clarity and direction in my coaching practice.

This artifact guides me across four key areas: continuous learning, leadership approaches, self-nourishment, and nurturing others. At its core, it also reflects the grounding presence of my faith and family—both my anchor and source of inspiration

Moving forward, I plan to use this artifact as a reflective tool in my coaching practice. It will help me stay aligned with my core values, assess my growth, and ensure that I am fostering intentional partnerships—particularly with school leadership—to better support our educators and students. By revisiting and potentially updating this compass regularly, I aim to remain responsive to the evolving needs of my role and the community I serve.

As coaches we don’t have positional leadership, but technically coaches are leaders in many different ways. So being able to embrace my leadership is a big takeaway. I’m actually leading the conversation about assessing professional growth, and my own growth. How am I influencing my leaders and teachers I’m working with. Those are influential leadership skills that I didn’t know I had. Because of CAL, I was able to assess myself so I could see that I am leading teachers to assess their own capacity and develop their own goals and address the needs of their students. If I’m able to help the teacher identify the needs of their class, that’s rewarding. I’ve not been able to see my influential leadership clearly in the past.

Key takeaway: how am I going to be intentional in having close relationships with my leaders so we can work together and not in isolation.

What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started this journey?

That coaching is more about people than it is about strategies. You can have all the tools, frameworks, and protocols, but without trust, nothing sticks. Coaching is relational at its core.

What’s one thing you would recommend all new or experienced coaches do to be successful in their role?

Stay perpetually curious, there’s always something to learn. The reason that we’re doing this is because we’re craving: ways to learn, and ways to serve. Prior to that is being curious. Learning starts with being curious.

Never stop learning, and always make time to reflect. Stay curious about the people you work with, remain open to feedback, and give yourself space to pause and process. Surrounding yourself with a supportive coaching community can make a meaningful difference—it’s a reminder that you don’t have to navigate this journey alone. And don’t forget to celebrate both the small wins and the big milestones along the way—they’re all part of your growth as a coach.

Any additional thoughts to share?

Sometimes we forget to celebrate not just others, but ourselves as well. When I’m reflecting about the work that I’m doing, I always think about what I’m lacking. I have a mindset that I need to work on, need to do, need to give, and then I fail to celebrate myself. I’m so good at celebrating others. I fail to sometimes keep track that these are also my wins. Being able to celebrate yourself and the work you’re doing. Celebrate your milestones: big or small!

Ready to Learn More about Instructional Coaching?

If you’re ready to take the next step in your coaching journey, let’s work together to make it happen!

Get Started With a Free Workshop!

To continue your learning, watch one (or more!) of our free workshops for instructional coaches – available right now!

Each workshop is designed for your experience level so you can take the next step in your learning right now.

Start with a FREE workshop here:

Find them at: coachbetter.tv/learn

Wherever you are in your coaching journey we can support you!

When you’re ready, there are three key ways we can work together:

Leave a comment below, or reply to any of my emails and let’s start a conversation to see how we can work together to create a thriving coaching culture in your school setting!

Connect with us!

Subscribe to the podcast iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher

Join our #coachbetter Facebook group

CASE STUDY: 6 Keys to Building a Coaching Culture with Coaches as Leaders Graduate, Tina Peji [309]