In the heart of our public school
system, a dedicated team of unsung heroes is making an indelible impact
on student and educator success. The commitment and service of
our instructional specialists and coaches go beyond me duties. They embody the essence of
educational support and collaboration. All right, let's start
out with one and a half. So show me one and a half. Larkin Epstein is our elementary
math specialist who splits her time between Mount Daniel and Oak Street. So, this math class I
co
teach with, um, this teacher. Um, so we kind of break it up
where we each have a group. Um, we have a couple rotations. I teach a group, she teaches a group. Every group sees both of us, so
they really get two teachers. I would say the most rewarding
part is just being able to work with both teachers and students. Coming together with the
teacher to problem solve. Like, this student is struggling and
how do we best meet their needs and how can we differentiate our instruction. And just helpi
ng them find
teaching strategies or resources. Um, and similarly with students,
like working with students. Um, when they are struggling on
something and then they finally, like, have that alpha moment can
be really powerful just to see. So it's kind of both sides,
like, problem solving on either side, and just kind of fun. I work with Larkin in our, uh,
CTL meetings, and she comes and she helps brainstorm with us and
helps us kind of stay on pace and on track with what we're doing. They give us
, um, It's
kind of inspiration. We can talk to them and go back and forth
about their ideas and what they think we could expand on in our classrooms. And so it's really a nice relationship. What sound does this one make? Ah. Phyllis Kravinsky is an elementary
reading specialist who also works with both teachers and students. You know, you see a lot of
growth in children, um, at this age when it comes to reading. I mean, you're moving from kids who
might not know any letter sounds, so all of a su
dden they Let's do it together. R U S T. What's that word? R U S T. But what I love is when you're working
with a kindergartner and they've learned some letter sounds and then all of a
sudden you've been working on taking those sounds and blending them into a word. And when they do that by themselves, when
they read that word, it might sound like not much to you, but the look on their
face, like, and they will say, I can read. And you're like, yes, yes, you can read. This collective effort. Ensu
res the delivery of instructional
programming, finely tuned to meet the diverse needs of all students. Through continuous analysis of student
work, adjustments in curriculum pacing, and lesson planning, they
ensure that the range of learners within FCCPS is fully supported. So part of my role as an instructional
specialist is coaching teachers. So I meet with teachers to plan
collaboratively and I support them with, um, their unit planning,
creating assessments, and even just their daily lesson
planning
and also, um, providing resources. Familiar with every student and
teacher by name and necessity. They collaborate closely with
grade level and department teams. This strong cooperative bond is not just
a facet of their identity, it's the very foundation upon which their work rests. By establishing these connections, they
create a nurturing educational environment that supports growth and learning. One of the things I love about being
an FCCPS and being a specialist is I get to work wit
h All the
four different capstone projects. So I work with exhibition. I'm a mentor there. I lead the community
project in eighth grade. I lead the personal project in 10th grade. And then I also am a supervisor
for extended essay student. So I really get to see that student
experience, um, K through 12th grade with these different culminating projects
that students are leading, um, really innovative ideas, um, and working to
improve their understanding of that material, but also of their commun
ity. Beyond their direct engagement
with students and teachers, our instructional support team plays a
pivotal role in professional development. Working alongside coordinators, they
spearhead initiatives designed to enhance the skills and knowledge of our
staff, thereby elevating the quality of education across the division. So we have a wide variety of math
courses that we offer and I think that's something that is great about
our school district where we're a small district but we offer a lot
of
really great options for students. So Tuesday through Friday I'm basically
here during Mustang block and I run intervention for tier three students
who based on data show that they need a little bit additional support. keep them up with what's
going on in the class. It is also open to students who
aren't assigned based on data. So I open it up to those who
just have questions or want to come by and get work done. And so I'm starting to see a lot of those
students just come by to have a nice w
elcoming environment of just working on
math and asking questions as they arise. And I would also say it's improved
the academic culture here at school as well because, um, I think it's been
difficult for kids to collaborate. with each other, with teachers,
and have that really meaningful face to face interaction. Because in a classroom, you're in a large
group, you can't work with a teacher. And in addition, she's
our curriculum expert. She also helps to build new courses. For example, VDOE is
implementing
the data science course. The curriculum really doesn't exist. Um, the VDOE is kind of building it
as the plane is in the air, so Ms. O'Keefe is partnering with our teacher
who's teaching that course to help make sure that course gets built
in a way that it can be, you know, effectively taught to the student. The daily activities of our
instructional support team paints a picture of versatility and dedication. To champion the success of every
student and teacher at FCCPS. So when tha
t happened, it's
like, whew, that's a great job.
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