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Nine Mile
Falls Elementary
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Growth in teaching and learning is a continuous process in the Nine Mile Falls School District as we strive toward excellence for all. One way to support teachers’ efforts is through an Instructional Coach. For the last three years, our students have benefited from an Instructional Literacy Coach. This year through a grant from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the District is able to add an Instructional Math Coach to its staff. Mrs. Millie Brezinski, who has taught sixth grade at our middle school, fills this position. “My primary goal as an Instructional Coach for our District is to develop the capacity of teachers to implement ‘best-practices instruction’ to meet the needs of all students and to attain mathematical goals for our schools,” she stated. Mrs. Brezinski will interact with individual and small groups of educators to build understanding and the use of highly effective, research based instructional practices in math. She will be available to support the teachers as they implement new instructional practices and refine others. More and more teachers are finding ways to participate in collaborative groups. Data shows that conversations and discussions of professional practices between teachers enhance student learning. As the Instructional Math Coach, Mrs. Brezinski will facilitate this effort. She will conduct formal professional development activities for teachers, as well as being available to teachers to act as a sounding board, serving as someone with experience and background knowledge who provides additional information and resources to our teachers. She will also facilitate the instructional alignment to State standards, interpreting assessment data as it applies to math curriculum. Coaching is the process of supporting teachers on their professional journey from where they are, to where they can be. The paramount goal is improving student achievement. An Instructional Coach can team up with a teacher to work in the classroom. The classroom teacher sets a professional goal, and the coach observes. Then the two reflect back on the teaching strategies/practices and evaluate the process together. Research shows that the coaching model is highly effective and successful when teachers are implementing changes or modifying teaching strategies/practices. In addition to teachers, Mrs. Brezinski is available to parents. She is planning on organizing Family Math Nights or Math Labs, to give parents an opportunity to see how the Integrated Math Program works. She is more than willing to answer any parents’ questions in regards to math in the Nine Mile Falls School District. (340-4131) For all of us, trying something new or making adjustments to what we already know can be daunting. With the help of a coach, it becomes easier. Through the assistance of an Instructional Math Coach, our teachers are receiving valuable support in their efforts to provide the best education possible to our students.
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