Meet the Teacher Excellence Program's Leadership and Instructional Coaches

The Instructional Coaches are required to have a Masters’ degree, a minimum of six years of experience as early childhood education classroom Teachers and possess early childhood education content expertise with the ability to teach adult learners. In addition to developing and facilitating observation and research-based professional development, their primary work is to coach, mentor, model for and provide technical support and assistance to classroom Teachers designed to increase their classroom practices.

Porter-Leath's Teacher Excellence Program also has a specialized focus on social-emotional training for early childhood educators. In order to perform at their best, early childhood educators must understand young children's ability to regulate their emotions and to relate to the world. Children's social environment can affect their classroom behavior and academic performance long after preschool, so it is critical that all educators are able to model responsible emotional management, decision making and relationship skills.

Tina Howard

Instructional Coach

Tina Howard began her educational journey in Early Childhood Education as a classroom volunteer and substitute teacher in Arkansas public schools. She is an alumnus of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, where she received a B.S.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, and an alumnus of Bethel University, where she received an M.A.Ed. in Administration and Supervision.

Tina's philosophy of instructional coaching is to work alongside teachers to improve student performance and provide evidence-based practices by observing, training, and sharing resources and strategies to help teachers actively engage students in literacy-rich lessons and ultimately achieving high-quality academic outcomes.

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