Fourth grade Missouri teacher Shelley Wisdom shares her experience with Collaborative Coach and the impact this coaching had on her Caring School Community instruction and classroom community.
We also hear from Shelley’s collaborative coach, Mary Tavegia, about her experiences working with Shelley in multiple cohorts.
Shelley Wisdom, Fourth Grade Teacher
Shelley, tell us about yourself and your role at your school.
I am a fourth grade classroom teacher at Hickman Mills, located in a metropolitan area. Also, I serve as the fourth grade lead for the district and grade level lead at my building, in addition to being on the district’s Lead Literacy Cohort.
I am looping with my students so I will be teaching fifth grade for the upcoming school year. After I started using the Caring School Community curriculum, I wanted additional support to implement it more effectively. That’s what led me to doing the 1:1 coaching through Collaborative Coach
How has the atmosphere changed in your classroom since prioritizing Caring School Community?
The atmosphere in my classroom has encouraged students to express themselves in an appropriate manner while promoting positive interactions among students.
I have a calm and thoughtful classroom, which helps me not only focus on academic needs but on the social-emotional needs of the students.
Explore Caring School Community
Caring School Community® is a comprehensive, research-based social and emotional learning program that builds school-wide community, develops students’ social skills, and enables a transformative stance on discipline.
Can you describe how your students are interacting with each other across the day?
My students are very cognizant of the need to use authentic communication as they interact with each other in the classroom, during transitional periods, and while in other classrooms, such as Art, Music, and P. E. They try to understand each other’s feelings and reasons for acting certain ways, which helps them to appreciate the perspective of other scholars.
This has led to building a strong caring classroom community, which, in turn, extended into the school community, home community, and the community in which they live.
How did you hear about Collaborative Coach and what made you decide to participate in multiple cohorts?
I learned about the opportunity to apply for the Caring School Community teacher scholarship from my instructional coach. During the first cohort I had learned so much that when the opportunity arrived to participate in a second cohort, I jumped at the chance.
I could see how my classroom environment was changing for the better and students were thriving by using the Caring School Community curriculum. Other staff members at school were noticing the exceptional behavior of my students as well.
Can you share examples of how Collaborative Coach impacted you personally?
I have learned the value of building true authentic relationships and how that assists in sustaining those relationships. Developing strong relationships is important, but being able to sustain those relationships is key to making them successful.
The foundational components of Caring School Community can be beneficial across the spectrum of relationship avenues.
What do you do differently now than prior to your participation in Collaborative Coach?
I begin by using the Caring School Community curriculum on day one. I am reflective on my practice and what I can do to create a collaborative classroom. It is crucial in helping to create those relationships that are so pivotal to the success of each scholar individually and the success of the classroom as a community.
My collaborative coach, Mary, was instrumental in helping me to see the academic benefits as well as the personal benefits of the Caring School Community.
Mary Tavegia, Professional Learning Lead
Mary, tell us about yourself and your role as a collaborative coach.
I am an independent consultant working with Collaborative Classroom as professional learning lead and collaborative coach for schools and districts who are implementing the Caring School Community program.
As the former principal of a Caring School Community school, I value the transformative power of building relationships among all members of the school community, which is exactly what is fostered by the implementation of this program.
Now it is my good fortune to be able to coach those who are using the program in their classrooms or leading the implementation at their school. We focus on building our relationship first and then we explore the areas that are of greatest interest.
What might you share about your experience collaborating with Shelley for two coaching cohorts?
Having two cohorts with Shelley has been such a delight!
Shelley works hard to create relationships with the students in her classroom and she is a lifelong learner so we had much to discuss! We were able to get to know one another during our first cohort together and I learned a lot about her wonderful work with this program.
As we dug into some of the materials, it was such fun to discuss how small tweaks to what she was already doing made a difference in how her students were responding. As we were able to move into another eight weeks, we were able to explore so much more, deepening her understanding of the materials and the design of the program while investigating options to expand her work with it.
Shelley was able to integrate the tenets and structures of Caring School Community throughout her day and this enhanced student learning and the classroom environment.
We celebrated the walk-through visits of others in her district as they noticed how interactive and responsive her classroom felt. It was exhilarating to problem-solve some issues together, to build on Shelley’s desire to learn more by offering more readings to explore, and to reflect on the success of her students.
As we neared the end of our time together, Shelley shared that she will be looping with most of her students for the coming school year. We planned how she can start the year next year, building on what she has already established, and deepening the relationships and social skills her students have developed this past year.
What is important for future participants to know about Collaborative Coach for Caring School Community?
Whether someone is new to the Caring School Community program or is an experienced implementer, there is always something to explore!
This might include discovering components that haven’t been tried yet, exploring strategies to enhance student engagement and participation, integrating the program across the school, or supporting the implementation in a leadership role.
There are many options and the direction that coaching will take is determined in conversations between the participant and the coach. Talking through things together, trying new ideas, or finding something in the materials that hadn’t been noticed before all feels natural as the relationship grows between the participant and coach.
It is a private, collegial experience that enhances personal reflection while impacting practice—and it can be a lot of fun!
Read some other blogs about Collaborative Coach:
Interventionist Vikki DeLoach and Principal Elizabeth Rivera on the Power of Collaborative Coach
Learn more about the Teacher Scholarship Program.
Learn More About Collaborative Coach
Personalized, Program-Specific, One-on-One Coaching for Individual Teachers, Coaches, and Leaders