Instructional Coaches

 
Meet Bedford County Schools Instructional Coaches

 

Bedford County Schools utilizes instructional coaches across the district to partner with classroom teachers in deepening their understanding of effective learning strategies. This commitment to continuous learning and growth helps us learn as a community of educators and helps us present lessons in ways that enhance student learning.

 

Click below to meet the instructional coach for your child’s school.

 
 
Coach1. How many years have you been a coach?
The 2022-23 school year is my second year as an instructional coach.
 
2. Why did you want to become a coach?
I am passionate about improving the quality of instruction and learning opportunities for students in Bedford County.

3. What is your favorite thing about being a coach? What drives your passion for coaching?
My favorite thing about being a coach is to watch student learning improve. When I see the growth in writing as I look at work in the hallway, I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. I believe every child deserves access to the highest quality education possible, and it is my mission to help all teachers provide the best instruction for children in Bedford County. 

4. What is your favorite inspirational education quote?
"When your heart is in your dream, no challenge is too extreme."
 
 
 
coaches
1. How many years have you been a coach?
This is my third year as an instructional coach! I was a classroom teacher for 26 years and am in my 28th year with Bedford County Schools. I love learning!

2. Why did you want to become a coach?
I believe that everyone has greatness inside of them. “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.” (MLK, Jr.) Being an instructional coach will allow me to serve, support and help teachers and students rise to their greatness and work towards Bedford County’s mission and vision. A good coach can make a difference, but a great coach can be a game changer. I want to be a game changing, instructional coach that serves as a voice for teachers and students in the learning process. Enthusiasm for learning is contagious and I want to be an advocate for education and the role it plays in molding our future.
 
3. What is your favorite thing about being a coach? What drives your passion for coaching?
My favorite part about being an instructional coach is collaborating with colleagues and learning from others. Creating partnerships with teachers is the best part. Supporting teachers on their pathways to our district’s goals is an important part of being a coach, while remaining student focused. Being able to celebrate teachers and students in the learning process is such a rewarding experience. “The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other. Without collaboration, our growth is limited by our own perspectives.” (Robert John Meehan) I am honored to be a part of the instructional team that supports and builds capacity in our teachers. I love learning and want to serve and support our champion teachers and students on the road to success. Being a voice and an educational advocate for students and teachers is an honor. “Education provides the fullest opportunities for fulfilling ourselves. It is the access to all that a person has yet to learn.” Education can change your life and I accept the challenge of supporting learning in our district.

4. What is your favorite inspirational education quote?
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela
 
Caldwell
1. How many years have you been a coach? This is my 4th year to be an instructional coach.
 
2. Why did you want to become a coach? There are several reasons I wanted to be a coach, but the most important one is that I genuinely care about and enjoy helping people. One of my favorite educators, Rita Pierson, believes that every child deserves to have a champion who never gives up on them, understands the power of connection, and insists they become the best they can possibly be. I believed that with all my heart in my classroom, and I want to share that with the adults in my school as well! I want to help teachers find and grow the greatness within themselves, and I want them to know that I will always be there to support them-even when it’s hard.
 
3. What is your favorite thing about being a coach? What drives your passion for coaching? My favorite thing about coaching is the same as it was for teaching. I love it when a teacher learns how to overcome a problem they have struggled with, or when they learn something new, give it a try, and it works! I love listening to what is troubling teachers and looking for solutions and trying them out and knowing that even if they don’t work, it’s ok. We just keep doing the hard work together. I know I’m doing my job well when I have coaching conversations with teachers and they can self-reflect and recognize what went well and what they need to improve on their own. That’s the best…..building capacity! The realization that creating capacity in teachers to be excellent ultimately creates excellent learning opportunities for the students in my school is the passion that drives me to be a coach with impact. Our students deserve all of us to be excellent!
 
4. What is your favorite inspirational education quote? One of my favorite inspirational education quotes is from Aristotle: Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
 
 
 
Coaches
1. How many years have you been a coach?

This is my 6th year serving as an Instructional Coach at Harris Middle School. Prior to that, I taught 7th grade ELA at Harris.

 
2. Why did you want to become a coach? 

I wanted to become a coach because I feel very passionately about helping teachers. I know the areas that I struggled with as a new teacher and what I would have loved to have support in personally. I love being able to provide that type of support to our teachers. I also know how important it is for teachers to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to seek out feedback about instructional practices. My goal at the end of each day is to help alleviate some of the stress my teachers feel and to make them each feel appreciated and valued. I work with a great group of teachers, and I absolutely love what I do!

 
3. What is your favorite thing about being a coach? What drives your passion for coaching?

I would say what drives my passion as a coach is seeing both our teachers and students grow. As I think about the specific challenges teachers and students have faced this year, I feel it is up to me to remind them of how far we have come and how much improvement we have seen not only in ourselves but in our students. I love being able to help teachers see the big picture and remind them of the impact they are having on their students.

 
4. What is your favorite inspirational education quote?

I would say a quote that stands out to me is “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you”—B.B. King. I feel very strongly that our students have an unlimited amount of potential. As teachers, it is our job to equip them with the knowledge they will need to be critical thinkers in their day to day lives in order for them to make decisions that positively benefit them throughout life.

 
5. Feel free to provide any additional information you feel would be beneficial about yourself or your position.

I am a native of Bedford County. My entire K-12 experience was in Bedford County, and I love that I now get to serve in this position within our county. I have been married to my husband, Heath, for 7 years in June, and we have a daughter.

Jennifer Gray
1. How many years have you been a coach? The 2022-2023 school year is my first year as an instructional coach. Prior to coming to Learning Way, I taught for three years at East Side Elementary and 13 years at Liberty.
 
2. Why did you want to become a coach? I have a passion for helping others and seeing them succeed. Being in this role can allow me to help teachers focus on their individual needs in the classroom, find resources to help bring growth in teaching and learning, and will allow me to help teachers get to a place where they are sharing best practices with one another. In turn, not only will teachers grow, but we will see our students grow in knowledge.
 
3. What is your favorite thing about being a coach? What drives your passion for coaching? At this point in my coaching career, my favorite thing has been being able to collaborate with others and share those thoughts and ideas I’ve seen and heard. I have loved being able to go into classrooms and see the great things happening within our building. What drives my passion for coaching is wanting to be a servant leader for the teachers at Learning Way Elementary. Servant leaders value people for who they are, not just for what they give to the organization. I want teachers to know they are valued, and I will work just as hard as they do, for them and their students. 
 
4. What is your favorite inspirational education quote? A quote that stands out to me is by George Evans, “Every student can learn, just not on the same day or in the same way.” I feel deep in my soul that every child can learn when given the opportunity and belief that they can achieve the desired outcome. Some may take longer than others or need to be equipped with the correct materials, but they will grow when the environment of the classroom is a positive and loving experience.
 
Coach
1. How many years have you been a coach?
This is my fourth year serving as an instructional coach for Liberty School and my 16th year teaching.
 
2. Why did you want to become a coach?
The short answer is I have a passion to serve, help, and support teachers which will also help our students. I love teaching and love our students. Similar to educator Rita Pierson's quote, I believe "Every teacher deserves a champion: An instructional coach who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be." 
 
I want to help teachers become the best versions of themselves in the classroom. Educators are some of the most dedicated, hard-working people I know. As my teaching years passed, I had this feeling I just couldn’t shake, a longing, to help teachers…to do more. I knew in my heart that I wanted this, to be a coach, more than anything else. The thing is, I wholeheartedly believe in our teachers and believe they have the ability to move mountains in regards to student growth. But, just like every great athlete, doctor, scientist, etc. they need a coach, someone to know them, truly care for them, and be willing to team up/partner up together so we both become better educators…better at what we do.
 
3. What is your favorite thing about being a coach? What drives your passion for coaching?
The relationships… the best part of the job is the ability to connect with the teachers and see just how truly great they are. The chance to work side by side with them, get in the trenches with them, and work together to give our kids the best possible education.
 
4. What is your favorite inspirational education quote?
"Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - John Maxwell
Clearly, I am a quote gal. But, I believe the above quote goes for teachers, too. Teachers don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. My goal is for every teacher I encounter to feel valued, appreciated, and supported.
 
5. Feel free to provide any additional information you feel would be beneficial about yourself or your position.
I am blessed with two wonderful children, Annalise and McKinley. These two girls are the light of my life. Since a little girl, I always wanted to be a teacher in Bedford County. After 16 years of teaching and in my fourth year of coaching, I can say I still absolutely love my job and working in this school system. So here I am…just living my childhood dream!

 
Malcolm Martin1. How many years have you been a coach? This is my first year as an instructional coach at Harris Middle School. Prior to being an instructional coach, I taught 8th grade math and algebra at Harris and in Rutherford County.
 

2. Why did you want to become a coach? Coaching is something that I had always been passionate about. From the basketball court to the classroom, I had always felt my leadership and teaching style resembled high-level professional coaches. Coaches are quick thinkers, innovative and are able to adjust on the fly. Likewise, I believe high quality educators are similar. I believe every student deserves a high-quality education, and in order for ALL students to receive high quality education, there must be high quality leaders. Teachers are some of the most influential people in a child’s life, and I wanted to help teachers learn and develop skills where they can meet children where they are and help them grow and develop into the best students and citizens they can be.

3. What is your favorite thing about being a coach? What drives your passion for coaching? Growth! It is always great to watch others grow and develop their craft. Whether it is a student or teacher, anyone that I am able to impact in a positive way means so much and makes coming to work worth it every day.

4. What is your favorite inspirational education quote? The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education." It is a beautiful thing when students achieve in our core content areas such as ELA, math, science, and social studies. However, what is even greater is when we have taught students to be an integral part of our communities, to treat each other with respect and to be life-long learners. The goal of true education is to teach the whole student.

5. What other information do you feel would be beneficial to know about you or your position? After graduating high school, I joined the military at the age of 18. I completed ten years in the military, four years active duty and six in the National Guard. I have a beautiful wife and two beautiful daughters, ages three and two. They keep me going. I am excited to help Bedford continue to grow and become one of the best districts in the state.

 
Coach1. How many years have you been a coach? I have been an instructional coach for three years.

2. Why did you want to become a coach? I saw a way to help support my fellow coworkers. Teaching is a mentally taxing job, therefore, it can be nice to have someone in your corner looking ahead for you and advocating for your needs.

3. What is your favorite thing about being a coach? What drives your passion for coaching? My favorite thing about being a coach is visiting all the classrooms!  Teaching can be a very isolating activity, and in this role I get to visit every room and see the wonderful things happening in them. I then get to act as a liaison and share with other teachers the awesome ideas and activities that I see.  The thing that drives my passion for coaching is my relentless pursuit of knowledge!  I love learning!  I especially love learning when it is a collaborative activity, and we can all build off of one another’s strengths.
 

4. What is your favorite inspirational education quote? I’m not sure if this is an “educational quote” per se, but it is one that I use daily within my educational experience working in schools. “Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” – Mother Teresa

 
Coach1. How many years have you been a coach? The 2022-23 school year will be my first year as an instructional coach at Community Middle School. 

2. Why did you want to become a coach? I want to be a servant to the teachers I help. Teaching is a tough job. I know what it feels like to have your emotional bowl empty at the end of the day. Teachers need as much help and encouragement as we give our students. I want to be someone who supports, encourages, and guides all teachers, not just our new teachers. Most importantly, I want to be someone who is worthy of this position. 

3. What is your favorite thing about being a coach? What drives your passion for coaching? My favorite thing about being a coach is being able to encourage teachers to keep going, to keep up the good work, to keep plugging away at their craft. There were times in my teaching career, especially at the beginning, when I felt alone, discouraged, and unsupported. As time went on, instructional coach positions were created in Bedford County, and I was able to work with two astounding instructional coaches who saved me! Right then, I knew I wanted to work in this capacity. I have always wanted to be an instructional coach so I could make sure no teacher felt the way I felt when I started my career 24 years ago.
 

4. What is your favorite inspirational education quote? My favorite quote isn't an educational quote, but I relate it to education and teaching. Kirby Smart, one of the greatest Georgia Bulldogs coaches of all time said, "You don't win games kicking field goals." There is a lot of truth behind this statement when talking about education. We can play the game, put a few points on the board, and maybe have a mediocre season. What really determines the outcome of the game are the big plays and the touchdowns. As with education, we can be satisfied with mediocrity and complacency, or we can work hard and win big.

 
Coach
1. How long have you been a coach?
This year is my third year as a coach. I started at Harris as a math coach before coming to Southside.
 
2. Why did you want to become a coach?
In 2019, I was a facilitator for the math state standards training. While I had been a department chair and led many professional development sessions previously, this was an all new experience! I loved working with teachers to develop their understanding of what we teach and how best to teach it. I saw teachers who were hungry for knowledge of best practices. This made me want to work with adults all the time.
 
3. What is your favorite thing about being a coach? What drives your passion for coaching?
I love getting to see other teachers teaching. My favorite part is watching a teacher bring a lesson to life, especially if I have been able to plan alongside the teacher. My passion for education and for coaching is driven by a constant desire to learn more. When I came to Southside, I had a lot to learn about early elementary standards and practices. The teachers at Southside have been willing to let me watch them teach and work together, and I have done considerable reading and research about early literacy. I still have much to learn! I also feel my passion being fueled when I see a teacher learn and grow as a result of his/her own drive for learning.
 
4. What is your favorite inspirational education quote?
Lilly Tomlin once said, "The road to success is always under construction." This quote reminds me that we should always be growing.