Learning isn't just for students; it's a lifelong journey for teachers as well.
Last week, instructional coaches from across the region stepped into the role of learners as they gathered at the Pendleton Tech and Trade Center (PTECH) and the InterMountain Education Service District (IMESD) for its second annual installment of the Oregon Trail Regional Educator Network’s Instructional Coaching Conference. This year’s conference featured a repeat appearance by Michelle Harris, senior consultant with the Instructional Coaching Group. Harris’s insights and expertise set the stage for a conference dedicated to enhancing the skills and practices of those at the forefront of educational improvement.
At the heart of ongoing teacher development, instructional coaches serve as vital resources, helping educators refine their skills and adopt new strategies. They are employed by school districts or education service districts to provide support to teachers in all stages of career development as they work to improve instruction, tackle a specific goal, increase student engagement, improve classroom management, or simply learn new skills to accelerate teaching and learning. In some districts, teachers may elect to work with a coach to tackle a specific goal while in others, coaches may be strategically paired with teachers to support implementation of new instructional strategies or work through challenges that arise throughout the school year. This year’s conference drew about 30 participants looking to improve their practice as coaches working in OTREN regional schools.
Gathering first on the evening of May 21st at the PTech building, instructional coaches from Echo, Elgin, Hermiston, Morrow County, Umatilla, and the IMESD were treated to four hours of programming complemented by a multi-course dinner prepared by Pendleton High School Culinary Arts, Hospitality & Tourism Instructor, Kaden Clark. Clark, who has extensive experience in the food industry as a chef, accepted a position teaching culinary arts classes to students in grades 9-12 at Pendleton High School’s PTech building in August of 2022. Jennifer Teeter, IMESD Instructional Coach, worked with Clark during his first year as a new teacher, supporting him through the challenging transition from industry to the classroom. Teeter and Clark share a strong bond, so when planning for the conference began, Teeter immediately thought of Clark and his students as an option to provide meals for participants. She pitched the idea to Clark, who immediately agreed, taking their partnership full circle. Clark and his students prepared and served an impressive dinner to conference attendees, which included a burrata crostini appetizer, a New York steak with cumin roasted carrots, and roasted potatoes with avocado chimichurri sauce. The dinner was accented by blood orange cardamom butter cupcakes for dessert. The following day, Clark served breakfast burritos and homemade pizzas to the participants in attendance.
Teeter noted the ways in which Clark has revitalized the hospitality and tourism pathway at Pendleton High School in his short tenure. “In his 2nd year as a CTE teacher at PHS, Kaden has built a strong program. From catering for the 1910 room at the Pendleton Round Up to opening the PHS Food Truck for high school events, Mr. Clark is providing outstanding hands-on learning opportunities for his students.” Teeter emphasized how Clark’s partnership with the IMESD provided another important opportunity for his students to experience work in the food service industry while earning money to support the financial needs of the program.
Day two of the conference, which was held on May 22 at the IMESD, drew 26 coaches from Baker, Echo, Elgin, Hermiston, Morrow County, Umatilla, and the IMESD. Coaches engaged in activities designed to teach best practices in data gathering. They also received instruction on how to help teachers develop more efficient goal-setting practices. Coaching procedures and approaches were explored with an emphasis on how to provide effective feedback to teachers when working through a coaching cycle. The conference was hands-on, promoting collaboration among participants and creating space for peers to exchange ideas and learn from one another.
Lindsay Murdock is an instructional coach for the Echo School District with over 25 years of experience in schools. Murdock, a regular attender of the coaching conferences, also attends OTREN-hosted Regional Coaches Huddles which function as interim meet-ups for coaches working in the region. The Huddles meet on a monthly basis throughout the school year and provide an opportunity for coaches to share ideas and work through problems of practice. Murdock emphasized the demands that accompany the end of every school year for educators, but said that she was thankful she blocked out time in her schedule to attend the conference. “Not only was I able to connect with other instructional coaches from around the region, but the conference provided an avenue to reflect and also start planning for next year,” Murdock said. “The work of an instructional coach isn't as clear cut as some would think, and this conference refreshed and renewed my desire to continue to listen and watch for the good that is happening inside our school walls with my colleagues and the students in Echo.”
Murdock noted the learnings she was most grateful for, which included the importance of creating space, finding ways to connect with others, remaining curious, and capitalizing on unique practices she can put into place as a coach to both appreciate and affirm those she supports. “I know I can't be everything to everyone,” she admitted, “but as I continue to learn how to work smarter, not harder in this role at my school, this conference reminded me who I am as a professional, impacting the spaces and places I find myself in in the most positive ways I possibly can.”
The second annual Instructional Coaches’ Conference was sponsored by the Oregon Trail Regional Educator Network (OTREN). The OTREN operates out of the IMESD and seeks to provide high-quality professional learning opportunities to paraprofessionals, educators, counselors, and administrators operating within its 21-district region located primarily in eastern Oregon.