August 2019

This newsletter was created to provide another tool for communicating and providing educational resources and articles that are relevant to our work. My hope is that this newsletter will help create a professional learning and coaching culture in our building and an avenue to share how coaching is impacting student achievement here at Clark. The purpose of this first issue is to tell you a little about myself and the many ways I can provide support through coaching.

As your Instructional Coach, my role involves partnering with you, the teachers, to provide instructional support in various ways. On any given day you might find me doing any of the following:

• The Impact Cycle: Partnering with teachers in high-impact planning toward the achievement of student focused goals. This may include providing instructional assistance by gathering data, modeling teaching strategies, observing instruction, providing feedback, etc.
• Planning, delivering and supporting professional learning for our site and district
• Helping gather materials and resources to support instruction.
• Assisting teachers with assessment and data-related activities, such as data collection/analysis and examination of student work.
• Designing active teaching and learning strategies to improve student performance.
• Meeting with grade level teams for vertical planning, collaboration, PLC, etc.
• Assisting with classroom management through community building and student-focused goals.
• Participating in a collaborative team with district curriculum specialists and other members of the Teaching and Learning Department.
• Professional Growth: Studying and researching current best practices in all areas of instruction
• Meeting regularly with principal and Instructional Coaching Learning Team.
• Performing other duties assigned by supervisor or principal.

If you would like me to read aloud to your class, just send me an email of some possible dates and times.

soukup.virginia@unionps.org

I attended the Coaching of Coaches Conference in Norman on Monday and Tuesday. We spent time revisiting the success factors of coaching, setting goals, and coaching and videoing each other.

Professionally

I began my teaching career in 1993 teaching Kindergarten at Wilson Elementary, a small rural community in Okmulgee Co. I began teaching at Union in 2006 in the Native American Program at Moore and Grove Elementary. The following year I taught Kindergarten at Moore Elementary for five years and served as the Reading Specialist for one year. In 2013 I took a position with the Carrera Program as the Academic Specialist for the 2019 Cohort. I have served as instructional coach for Briarglen, Ochoa, and Jarman. This past year I was the Reading Specialist at Boevers. I have also taught summer school for grades 2 and 3. I am so happy to be at Clark Elementary this year. I received my Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from NSU and hold certifications in Early Childhood, Elementary Education, Reading Specialist PK-12, Social Studies & Language Arts 6-8. I will soon be adding EL certification to my license.

Personally

I love spending time with my five children and six grandchildren. I have a senior this year so I will be very busy with senior activities. I have a son attending OSU as a sophmore this year. One of my sons works as a groundskeeper here at Union. We couldn't make it without our wonderful support staff! In my spare time, I love reading, swimming, walking, and spending time with friends and family.

Email: soukup.virginia@unionps.org
Phone: 918.357.8513
Twitter: @VLSoukup