Instructional Coaches Conference Presenters

In March 2022, Agora’s Instructional Coaches attended The Coaching Mentor Collaborative Regional Conference (CMC) hosted by Capital Area Intermediate Unit. The conference theme, “Coaching Forward: Finding the Joy in Coaching,” reinforced the positive, joyful experiences Agora coaches find in their work every day. Along with specialists, mentors, and administrators from many school districts, Agora had 18 instructional coaches attending the conference.

Agora is the first cyber charter school to have Instructional Coaches in Pennsylvania, an endorsement that complements a certified teaching certificate. Agora Instructional Coaches work with classroom teachers to support learning and teacher best practices. This includes personalized, individual and group instruction, expanding and refining teachers’ skills, and research-based techniques to guarantee effective classroom instruction.

Agora is proud of the skills and ideas that our experts bring to the table. Their contributions to the conference were a great addition to the content shared.

Following a keynote speech on best practices in a hybrid learning environment, three Agora Instructional Coaches led the following sessions:

Melissa Jusko and Mike Scheirer, Instructional Coaches at Agora, presented a session entitled, “Please Pass the Butter! Delighting in Feedback Even When It’s Melting.” This session focused on receiving and giving feedback, taking the approach that it’s essential to understand feedback, but we often dread it, dismiss it, and sometimes flat-out miss it — all with good reason. Participants in the session explored best ways to receive feedback, practiced questioning skills in giving feedback, and created a feedback protocol to elevate future conversations. The session allowed participants to explore and discover the secret of bridging the gap in wanting to learn and grow while being accepted just as they are, ultimately finding joy within that process.

Michelle Olsavsky, Instructional Coach at Agora, presented the session, “Finding the Balance – Working to Live; not Living to Work.” Michelle focused on strategies to overcome the obstacles that keep us from maintaining a healthy work-life balance and the many benefits of establishing and sustaining that balance.

Agora thanks the Instructional Coaches who participated in this conference for continuing to lead the way in the world of cyber education.