Marietta’s Amy Christensen serves as the district’s Instructional Coach. And if you don’t
know what that is, you’re not alone. A football or basketball coach? Sure. But an
instructional coach, well, that’s another animal altogether.
In these days of high-stakes testing, education has become increasingly data driven.
What that means is that when students’ standardized test scores aren’t what they
should be, someone has to sit down and figure out why and what should be done to fix
it. And that’s the job of the instructional coach.
“My role encompasses collaborating with district administrators to analyze student data,
identify instructional needs, and create professional development plans aimed at
enhancing student success,” said Christensen.
Since Christensen is also the professional development coordinator, sometimes that’s
through meetings and workshops that provide strategies, other times its through
providing resources that help to improve instruction. But it’s always with one goal in
mind: improving student achievement
“One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is fostering an environment of continuous
learning and growth for our educators,” insisted Christensen.
Christensen, in her second year at Marietta, also dedicated quite a bit of her time to the
implementation and sustainability of the district’s Professional Learning Community, a
process focused on teacher collaboration and data analysis and the development of
plans designed to enhance student learning.
“I am deeply committed to our mission of ‘ensuring learning for all students’ which
promotes collective responsibility for every student’s success,” insisted Christensen. “It
is a joy to work with the administrators and teachers at Marietta in pursuit of doing
what’s best for our students.”
Christensen, who grew up and graduated from high school in Colorado and earned her
bachelor’s degree from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and her master’s
degree in secondary education from East Central University in Ada and has taught in
several public school grade levels as well as Career Tech, relishes the opportunities
afforded her by her role as Marietta’s Instructional Coach/Professional Development
Coordinator.
“I was drawn to my current role because it offers the chance to support and contribute to
the success of others,” she said. “I am passionate about working with teachers, and my
goal is to encourage, support, and collaborate with them in a productive and positive
way.”