How Coaching Helped Me Grow as an Algebra Lab Teacher

When I started teaching Algebra Lab at Carmen Southeast, I was excited about the opportunity, but I was also learning a lot in real time.

My background was not in teaching math, so stepping into a role where I was leading a math intervention block came with a steep learning curve. I was learning the Teach to One Roadmaps platform, figuring out how to support students with very different skill levels, and trying to understand what a strong implementation of Algebra Lab should really look like day to day.

At the beginning of the year, my main focus was just to keep students moving forward.

I knew students were expected to complete about two skills a week, so a lot of my attention early on went to monitoring pace and making sure students were working. That was important, of course, but over time I realized that simply keeping students moving through the platform was not enough. I wanted the class to feel more structured, more purposeful, and more connected to what students were learning in Algebra 1.

That is where coaching made a big difference for me.

Working with Kyra VandeBunte helped me start thinking about Algebra Lab differently. Instead of seeing Teach to One Roadmaps primarily as a platform students worked through, I started to see it as a tool I could use more intentionally to support learning. Coaching helped me understand not just how to keep the class running, but how to build routines, use the platform more strategically, and create a stronger connection between intervention and core instruction.

One of the biggest shifts we made was creating more structure within the week.

Rather than having students simply work through whatever was next, we began organizing the week around one target skill and one choice skill. The target skill connected directly to what students were learning in Algebra 1. That made the work feel much more purposeful for students, because they could see how Algebra Lab was supporting the math they were doing in their core class. The choice skill gave them a chance to continue working independently on other areas of need.

That weekly structure gave me a stronger sense of how to plan and gave students a clearer sense of what to expect.

Another major shift was note-taking.

Earlier in the year, I noticed some students were moving too quickly through the platform or going straight to Skill Challenges without really engaging with the learning materials first. With Kyra’s support, we introduced a note sheet that asked students to record vocabulary, worked examples, formulas, and practice. We also built in reflection so students had to think more intentionally about what they were learning.

That may sound simple, but it changed a lot.

Students became more organized. They slowed down and engaged more deeply with the content. I could see more clearly what they were understanding and where they were getting stuck. The note sheets also gave students something to refer back to, which was especially helpful when they were working on content connected to what they were seeing in Algebra 1.

We also built more intentional support into the week. Wednesdays became a time when I could pull small groups or offer more targeted help, while other students continued working independently. Fridays became more flexible depending on student progress, sometimes for catch-up and sometimes as a reward or incentive if students had met their goals for the week.

Those routines helped me feel like I was not just supervising students on a platform. I was actually leading the class.

That was one of the biggest areas of growth for me this year. Early on, I was still trying to find my footing and understand what was possible in this role. Coaching helped me move from just monitoring progress to thinking much more intentionally about instruction, pacing, and student support.

It also changed the way I use data.

At first, I knew the basic goal was to keep students on pace, but over time I learned how to look more closely at what the data was telling me. I became more comfortable using the teacher dashboard, checking whether students were on track or off track, and using that information to decide when students needed more support, when they could work more independently, and when we needed to make changes in the classroom.

That made the work feel much more manageable. I was no longer trying to solve everything at once. I could focus on a few key moves, see what impact they had, and build from there.

I have also seen real changes in students.

Students are engaging more seriously with the work. They are taking notes more consistently. They are making stronger connections between Algebra Lab and Algebra 1. I have had students mention that they are seeing skills from Teach to One Roadmaps show up in class and even on pre-ACT work, which has been exciting. It has helped reinforce that this time matters.

For me personally, one of the biggest changes has been confidence.

I do not feel like I have to have everything figured out all at once. What helped me grow was having coaching that broke the work down into manageable next steps. Instead of being handed a big vision and left to figure it out alone, I had support in turning that vision into routines, structures, and daily moves that made sense for my classroom.

That support made it possible for me to grow into the role.

I think that matters for any teacher, but especially for teachers who are new to teaching math or stepping into a specialized intervention setting. It is easy to feel like you are supposed to know how to do everything right away. My experience this year has reminded me that growth does not happen all at once. It happens step by step, with the right coaching, the right tools, and the chance to keep building.

If I were talking to another teacher stepping into a role like this, I would say start with structure, be open to feedback, and do not underestimate the power of small changes. For me, the biggest improvements did not come from one huge shift. They came from building stronger routines, using data more intentionally, and having coaching that helped me focus on the next right step.

About the Author

Lyndie Ark is a first-year Learning Lab Specialist at Carmen Southeast in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she uses Teach to One Roadmaps to personalize math instruction for her students. A Montana native who made the move to Milwaukee at the start of 2025, Lyndie brings a deep commitment to empowering every student.