As an AP, I can’t emphasize enough the impact of working alongside our Innovation and Transformation Coach from Educate. The concept of change can be really challenging for our dedicated teachers who have established routines and methods over the years. It can feel intrusive when they are asked to rethink their process, but the coach’s ability to remain organized with an end goal in mind makes it feel less like “change for the sake of change”. Unlike some vendors we have worked with in the past, the teachers know that she is a real partner on their learning journey and will continue to support them, from the way she supports in and out of classrooms.

Some leaders may be hesitant to integrate coaching support into their school, because they recognize that teachers are often overwhelmed, but we have had the opportunity to see the benefit of pairing coaching with a shift in curriculum. Miriam’s ability to “speak the language” of Math, paired with her transformative approach to coaching created alignment across the department. Her support not only helped teachers to plan and facilitate the curriculum, she cultivated teacher leaders among the Math department to continue building internal capacity even when she was not physically present.