We are sharing TLI’s 3 most used coaching resources. We hope you find these helpful and please reach out to us with any questions you may have!

#1 Low Inference Notes Template

Our coaches use this template when observing classroom teachers. The template is a good reminder to add time stamps and record objective notes about what the teacher and students say or do.

#2 Coaching Conversation Template

Our coaches use this template to analyze their low inference notes, develop an action item and plan a coaching conversation. This template includes key elements to include in each portion of the coaching session.

#3 Elements of Effective Action Steps

This one-pager includes examples and non-examples of effective actions steps along with tips about how to develop action steps that will move teachers forward.

What do you do at TLI? 

I am proud to serve as the Executive Director and Founder of TLI. I have a variety of hats from coaching teachers, coaching leaders, designing professional development, partnering with districts and other organizations, fundraising, managing our staff, and projecting forward on our overall strategy. 

How did your career path lead you to TLI? 

I started as a classroom teacher, as we all did. I found out early on that the adults in the building drive outcomes for kids. I joined the Teach For America staff and I got the coaching bug – I saw the impact that coaching teachers could have on students and adults. But each year, teachers were new, the work was hard, and it seemed like we weren’t making any progress so I joined Cleveland Public Schools as the Assistant Superintendent. As I looked around the education system, I saw a growing need to develop systems around new teachers and I felt compelled to do something about it. Hence, TLI was born. 

What is your favorite thing about doing this work? 

I love the one-on-one work. You get to know people and their motivations. You get to know classrooms and kids. While professional development can be effective, it sometimes feels distant from the work. There is nothing like being in a classroom. 

What do you hope for students in Oklahoma?

I hope that every single student has access to an excellent teacher. For this to be true, we must invest in developing teachers and principals (because people quit their bosses). We also need pathways that are accessible for anyone interested in joining the profession. 

What else should we know about you?

I am originally from the suburbs of Chicago and my family is still there. They are still confused why I am in Oklahoma but I am very happy with the life my family and I have built here. I am a proud mother of two. We spend a lot of time at parks and at lakes. I am also an avid backgammon player and rower. 

What do you do at TLI? 

My official title is Chief of Staff but my colleagues would probably say I’m TLI’s jack of all trades. I happily split my time between coaching school leaders and managing behind-the-scenes operations at TLI. Every task from writing grants to observing classrooms is in service of the incredible teachers and leaders we work with and the inspiring students they serve. 

What brought you to TLI? 

I’ve spent the last decade and a half in education and in each role, I’ve learned that the work is always, always about people. If we want the best for students, we have to invest in the people around them.

TLI puts people at the center. We walk alongside school leaders to offer the individual support that leaders deserve. Our coaching is firm but warm. Every day, we have the pleasure of seeing how the investments in the adults in our school buildings positively impact students. 

What is your favorite thing about doing this work? 

I get to support incredible school leaders. It’s a privilege to see their progress every day. 

What do you hope for students in Oklahoma?

For all Oklahoma students, I hope for rigorous content, and the safe, inspiring schools they deserve. I want all students to have real choices about where and how to begin their college education or careers after high school.      

What else should we know about you?

On weekends, I’m probably  in the garden with my 3-year-old, trying a new recipe in the kitchen, finishing a quilting project, or tuning into an audio book. 

What do you do at TLI? 

Work with school leaders! As the Director of Leadership Programs, I run our School Leader Cohort — a year-long fellowship that includes summer training, weekly one-on-one coaching, and opportunities for school leaders to collaborate, share with, and learn from each other. 

How did your career path lead you to TLI? 

I know from experience that leadership can be lonely. I’ve been a teacher, a teacher coach, a school leader, and a curriculum writer. After this time in schools craving more individual support than I ever actually got, I knew I wanted to provide support to school leaders. TLI allowed me to do exactly what I wanted to do — what I had actually wanted for myself — to give leaders the consistent, individual support they deserve. 

What is your favorite thing about doing this work? 

Getting to spend time with the hardest-working, most kind-hearted, smart, caring, inspiring leaders in Tulsa! 

What do you hope for students in Oklahoma?

For our Oklahoma students, I hope for rigorous content and excellent instruction. I want our students to be challenged, inspired, and met with the high expectations they deserve. 

What else should we know about you?

I am a Tulsa native, and happy to be back after more than a decade in the Northeast. Outside of TLI, I am hanging out with my family — Dan, my husband, and our two kids, Lucy and Nino. 

TLI develops teachers and school leaders across multiple districts through short cycle coaching and professional training workshops. 

Often, trainings are offered as multi-day sessions or as a series of trainings over a number of weeks. Professional development sessions for teachers range from classroom management strategies and mindsets to developing strong lesson plans and instructional techniques.

TLI works with leaders to prioritize instructional leadership and build effective coaching skills. In Oklahoma, 75 percent of principals have five years of experience or less. Building instructional leadership capacity is imperative to reduce school leader turnover and foster quality classroom instruction. Click here to learn more about TLI’s professional trainings in our annual report. 

TLI really helped me narrow the focus on student skills and what students had to do to show mastery on standards.

Brandy Gildon-McCracken, Instructional coach

What do you do at TLI? 

My official title is Manager of Teacher Development and Communications. In short, I coach teachers and lead professional development. I also handle communications for TLI including our social media, website, and external communications. 

How did your career path lead you to TLI? 

I began my career in education as a middle school teacher at Tulsa and Union Public Schools teaching science and reading. Eventually, I left the classroom to attend graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and pursue answers to questions about education that had been brewing during my time in the classroom. After graduating with my degree in education policy, I came back to Oklahoma and worked as an education policy analyst at the Oklahoma Policy Institute. During my time at OK Policy I was steeped in state level policy making and wrote about the impact those policies would have on students, teachers and families. While this advocacy work was fulfilling, I missed the classroom. I joined TLI so that I could support teachers across the state and continue to do work that addresses educational inequities in our state.   

What is your favorite thing about doing this work? 

Working with teachers! Being in the classroom brings me so much joy. I have the privilege of observing teachers every week and meeting with them one-on-one to reflect on their practice. It’s also really fun to get to know their students and witness the hard work teachers our into their classrooms. Teachers in Oklahoma deserve higher salaries, more resources, and smaller class sizes. Supporting teachers as a coach feels like one way I can help teachers get the support and development they deserve. 

What do you hope for students in Oklahoma?

I want all Oklahoma students to have access to an equitable education, and this means all students will have access to highly skilled teachers. I think this starts with teacher salaries that are commensurate with their hard work and talent. Teaching is incredibly difficult work that requires technical execution skills and hours of skillful planning. I want teachers to be paid enough so they don’t have to worry about providing for their own families, and so they don’t have to sacrifice their own well-being. Coupled with adequate professional development support, highly qualified teachers would lead Oklahoma students to better outcomes. I also hope that low-income students and students of color have teachers who are well prepared to meet their distinct needs.

What else should we know about you?

I am originally from upstate New York, but Oklahoma has become my home! I live with my fiancee (we’re getting hitched in June 2022!) Jesse, our dog Ollie, and cat Kodie. You can reliably find me either playing tennis, biking, running, or gardening when I’m not working. One of my favorite places in Oklahoma is the Tallgrass Prairie in Pawhuska, OK, and I squeal with delight every time I see bison.