Educational Coaching at The Family & Learning Center is perfect for people who are passionate about helping students with learning and attention challenges reach their full potential. You get to work with a range of students who have different learning needs. Since each session is one-on-one, you can customize the lesson for each student based on his/her unique learning style. Every day brings new opportunities to help your students become successful learners.
Our Educational Coaches come from diverse backgrounds. We have recent college graduates looking to gain experience before graduate school in all different fields. Some of our Coaches are educators looking for an alternative to classroom teaching that provides more opportunity to impact the lives of individual students.
Read on to learn what our Educational Coaches have to say about working at TFALC.
EDUCATIONAL COACH TESTIMONIALS
Crystal Foley, Educational Coach
2003-2010
The Family & Learning Center was a very special part of my educational career for 7 years. I joined the TFALC team with a teaching credential and some public school years under my belt with hopes to work a schedule that allowed me to continue my work with students, but also pursue a Master of Education Degree. My experience working with Bonnie Weiss and her team allowed me to grow further as a professional, giving me a deeper understanding of the children who struggle in school or who simply learn differently than the traditional public school model. I now use this knowledge to help guide my current instruction as a public middle school teacher in San Diego. I have implemented many elements of the TFALC programs into my everyday work with my own students. I am very grateful for my time at The Family & Learning Center. It is a place that truly cares about what children need for academic success.
I came to TFALC with a multiple subject teaching credential and a strong background in education and childcare. Having worked with children my entire adult life, I had enjoyed working with a wide range of families and their children. Throughout my career, I had met kids that I wish I could have served in a more specialized capacity. As with many teachers, I knew that certain students needed more help, but there was a barrier of time, resources, and my own training. When I heard about TFALC and met Bonnie Weiss, I knew that being an educational coach was something that I would find fulfilling, and would allow me to serve my students in a way I hadn’t been able to in the past.
In my credentialing program, I had exactly one class on special needs education, and literally one day was spent on learning disabilities. Before I even started working with students at TFALC, I had learned so much from Bonnie and her team about how we learn, how to study, various types of learning disabilities, and remediation. I spent hours in training that was incredibly valuable to me as an educator, and truly prepared me to support the children and families I worked with at TFALC. Not only did I receive this invaluable training before I started working with students, but I continued to broaden my knowledge and sharpen my skills with staff meetings and one on one supervision meetings with Bonnie and Danika. I can truly say that I always left staff meetings and supervision feeling that it was time well spent, and enthusiastic to apply new skills and ideas.
Aside from my own professional and personal growth at TFALC, I was surrounded by like minded coworkers, who became good friends, as well as additional mentors. I loved being able to meet new children and their parents, and truly felt that I was helping them to excel academically and emotionally, as they gained new confidence in themselves.
I worked at TFALC for two and a half years, and left when my husband and I moved out of state. I have a hard time imagining ever having a more fulfilling job than the one I had at TFALC. I’m very thankful for having had the opportunity, and would encourage anyone with an interest in children and education to consider learning more about employment at TFALC.
Jenny Stanley, Educational Coach
2015-2017
Stephanie Reisenberg, Educational Coach
2012 – 2015
The Family and Learning Center is an incredible place to work. During my 3 years as an employee, I learned a great deal and got to interact with many wonderful students. The Director, Bonnie, and Assistant Director, Danica, spent many hours training me thoroughly. They continued my education on different learning challenges and strategies to support students throughout my time there. In addition, the work environment was very warm and supportive. Someone was always willing to help me when I felt confused on the best way to assist a student or unclear on a subject. My time as an employee helped me grow not just professionally, but also personally. I learned about my own executive function strengths and weaknesses and strategies to support them. I now use many of these strategies daily with my family. Lastly, I found my time at TFALC to be fulfilling. When a student begins to read fluently or apply a strategy that helps them improve their test score, it is incredibly rewarding. Educational Coaching can have a lasting impact on a student’s life.
My years working at TFALC were such a positive experience and prepared me well for the future. Bonnie creates a great work environment, valuing and incorporating the input of everyone on the team. And the training and experience have been invaluable to me as a teacher, understanding how different people think and learn. I gained skills that I wouldn’t have picked up anywhere else.
Scott Eng, Educational Coach
2010 – 2015
Elena Segarra, M.Ed., Educational Coach
2016 – present
Before coming to The Family & Learning Center, I knew that I wanted to work in the field of education, but I was discouraged by not having the tools to support my students who most needed help. When I started at TFALC, I learned how to better understand and meet each individual student’s needs. The Director and Assistant Director provided me with extensive initial training along with ongoing professional development. Everyone in the office was interested in continuing their own learning while supporting student learning, so the overall environment was collaborative and supportive. Working at TFALC helped me discover my passion for reading instruction and inspired me to complete a master’s degree majoring in special education with a concentration in dyslexia. With the director’s support, I was able to continue working and teaching while completing my part-time master’s program. This experience allowed me to make a lot of connections between theory and practice that have transformed me as a teacher. I now feel confident in finding successful ways to support many, many different students.
I started working at TFALC as an Educational Coach right after getting my undergraduate degree at UCSD. I was immediately engaged by learning how students can remediate areas of weakness rather than compensate for them. I’ve had students go from avoiding reading altogether to becoming such avid readers they make weekly library trips. Instead of learning study skills through trial and error as I did in college, I learned how to teach students the strategies that work best for them.
I find it especially rewarding to teach students in a one-on-one environment. The lessons are individualized to meet the student’s goals and needs. I can ensure each student makes progress and achieves success and confidence.
Working at TFALC is what inspired me to get my Master of Education. Since then, I have enjoyed training and supporting Educational Coaches while still working directly with students. Even though each Coach works independently, everyone is approachable and helpful. Our Educational Coaching team collaborates to provide each other with new ideas, strategies, and practices that benefit all students.
Danika Kirsch, M.Ed., Assistant Director/ Educational Coach
2002 – present
Yesennia Tolentino, Educational Coach
2017 – present
I have had the pleasure of being part of the TFALC team for three years. TFALC has allowed me to be creative and work one on one with all types of students of different needs. I like the stability and flexibility of the job, knowing that I have student sessions at the same time and day each week, yet that I can come in when I want to prep for them. I also enjoy the positive work environment and the ability to learn and grow within the company.
Working for the Family and Learning Center was probably one of the best things that could have ever helped me for my future as a special education teacher. I started working for TFLAC in 2011 as an educational coach. I received training on evidence-based practices that I now use in my own classroom. The training alone was a reason why working for TFALC was so invaluable, but that’s not the only thing that made it a dream. Bonnie and the other supervisors were so supportive, and helped guide me as I grew as a coach and matured as an educator. The center was always welcoming and it became my second family. Best of all, I got to do one-on-one intervention with students. Now that I am a teacher, I realize how much of a gift this work can be for these young people. I live in a different state with my family now, but if I ever moved back to California, I would absolutely love to come back to work for Bonnie.
Maryam Wolff, Educational Coach
2011 – 2015
Alex Evans, Educational Coach
2019 – present
Working at TFALC has taught me how to connect with and support students in an impactful way. During my time working there, I was applying to medical school, and TFALC contributed to my development of interpersonal skills required to enter the medical field. In addition, many of the study techniques we use to support our students gave me inspiration and direction for success once entering medical school. If you’re looking for an impactful and rewarding position, this is it.
Being part of the TFALC team has personally been a rewarding experience. I previously worked as a tutor for students in grades K-12, but here I have learned a personalized and unique approach to help students in their learning. The work environment is great since all of the Educational Coaches (including myself) have our own office where students see us on a one-on-one basis and we all collaborate to help each other out. In addition, being part of TFALC has allowed me to enhance my teaching skills and helped me get accepted into graduate school at UC Irvine to pursue a Masters Degree in Genetic Counseling. In my time being here, I have discovered a desire to continue being part of education in some aspect later in my life due to my love for life-long learning and working with students. Overall, TFALC has given me the tools to grow both personally and professionally as I continue following my academic and professional goals.
Alex Palacios, Educational Coach
2018 – present