Testimonials
Crabtree Coaching Collaborative has not only met our expectations but continues to excel in leading our teams to excellence which in turn has made a positive impact in student learning. Mrs. Crabtree respired life into our PLC. Our PLC teams are successfully collaborating vertically and for the first time are identifying the common language across grade levels and content and are clear in the grade level expectations and how the content builds and connects from grade level to grade level. Our teams are also incorporating Depths of Knowledge (DOK) questions and creating quick checks and CFAs which students use to measure their progress and teachers reflect on the teaching practices. Mrs. Crabtree led our teams from “PLC Lite to PLC Life!” With the guidance and recommendations of Mrs. Crabtree, our classrooms transitioned to using learning intentions, success criteria, and micro-progressions. This transition empowered both teachers and students alike as students can now measure their progress in mastering the TEKS as identified in the learning intentions. Our collaborative teams are successfully pacing and planning their instruction according to the TRS YAG (TEKS Resource System Year-at-a-Glance) and aligning this with CFAs; our scholars are using grade-appropriate, teacher made, progress measures to identify their mastery on the micro-progressions. Ms. Crabtree also introduced our campus to The Teacher Clarity Playbook and the work of John Hattie which addresses visible learning. During our PLC and grade level collaborative time, we focus on visible learning. Our students in any grade level can clearly identify and explain what they are learning and how they know they are successful in their learning of the content. We moved our students from the rote what are you doing to a more meaningful quality question of, “What are you learning?” Students are eager to share their learning and tell how they are successful, all which indicate the scholars are fossilizing the learning intentions, success criteria, and micro-progressions.
It is a joy to work with Alissa at Crabtree Coaching Collaborative. She exhibits outstanding leadership, and she has led coaching initiatives through forging strong collaboration amongst specialists, cross-content coaching cycles, building coaching capacity in administrators, and most recently, developing a series of interactive sessions that have proven to encourage participation and growth of educators. Alissa exudes passion as a coach and leader. She fosters collegial relationships and shares her knowledge and expertise in meaningful ways. She communicates clearly and maintains professionalism as she collaborates with multiple educators across our district. Her positive spirit is uplifting and her energy is infectious as she shares her ideas on how to empower the students that we serve. She has afforded countless hours in the development of course materials and facilitation of office hours in support of campus personnel. Given the opportunity, one will easily notice Alissa’s outstanding qualities as a coach and educator, and I am confident that she will be of great service and impact to any educator she works with.
It has been a pleasure getting to work with Alissa Crabtree at Crabtree Coaching Collaborative. I have never met anyone who put the needs of our students at the center of every decision that was made for our campus more than she did. Alissa was an integral part of our campus success, from coaching to modeling, her data-driven discussions, and her focus on the success of our students, she was there every step of the way to pull her sleeves up and guide our teachers to greatness. Alissa always had a plan and knew which direction to take our discussion to make decisions that benefited our campus. When our time together came to an end, it was like we lost a member of our family. I have grown and learned much from her and cannot wait for the next opportunity to work with her again.
All I can say is that Crabtree Coaching Collaborative has had a very strong influence and positive impact on our elementary school. When I took on the job as a campus administrator and instructional leader, it was obvious that we had work to do. The difficulty was finding where to start and what this plan of action needed to look like. From the beginning of gaining the support of Crabtree Coaching Collaborative, I knew that we were not alone in working towards high levels of learning for all students with a focus on Tier 1 instruction. Very quickly our teachers saw they were not alone either. Though I have had the honor of participating in many professional development opportunities, Crabtree Coaching Collaborative has surpassed them all! My staff and I have experienced TRUE COACHING. I have learned through this process with Alissa Crabtree how to effectively be an instructional leader for my campus. My teachers understand the significance of deeply knowing the standards and bringing them to life through teacher clarity. My students ( let’s not forget them) have bought into taking ownership of their learning and student progress monitoring based on the microprogressions set up by our teachers. Alissa Crabtree makes everything simple, from the tools that she has developed for us to utilize, to the smart goals she has supported us in developing as a campus so that we may be a unified force and voice for one another. Administrators, through this process, leadership has been able to keep the main thing about student learning. Our teachers and our students have shown significant growth because of her influence and guidance. My craft as a principal, our teachers, and our students will forever be positively changed because of the decision to work with Crabtree Coaching Collaborative! If you are in need of simplifying instructional leadership, increasing the coaching culture on your campus, and improving student outcomes, you do not need to look any further. Alissa Crabtree is a powerhouse that can bring vision and simplicity when there is work to do.
Alissa Crabtree at Crabtree Coaching Collaborative is my role model and mentor when it comes to education. I met her during my first year of teaching and she has taught me everything I know about being in the classroom. She always went out of her way to help me. She has such a wonderful, bubbly presence that lights up a room that she is in. Her coaching has left a mark on our campus. She is always brought up in conversations, her strategies are still currently being used, and she has helped me become the successful teacher that I am today. She has a true passion for what she does and she constantly pushes me and mentors me to be a better educator every single day. I aspire to be just like her as I further my teaching career. She truly is a remarkable instructional coach and I’m so lucky that I have met her.
Alissa at Crabtree Coaching Collaborative is passionate, driven, and the kindest soul. I found this out after working with her for two years; however, I knew from the moment I met her that she was beyond just an educator, coach, support, sounding board, task worker, advice giver, and friend. She provided me the tools I needed to lead my team well whether that was calendar management, creation of materials, or having those crucial conversations. Her impact was tenfold. She helped me, individually, which in turn transformed my team, and led to a bigger impact on our students. Alissa never shied away from daunting or unwanted tasks. She puts action to her words and practices what she preaches. She helped my team take ideas and put them into reality to reach our goals. If you are looking for a coach who does it all, I know that Alissa will be an essential element to your success.