What is coaching?
Coaches are available to walk through the revised Early Achievers process, answer questions, and help to understand the various steps of EA including the Program Profile and video highlights submission.
A coach can also support a variety of other topics from business basics to developmentally appropriate practices to anti-bias curriculum and so much more. Coaching is a collaborative relationship. Reflecting on your current practices, your strengths, and the areas where you wish to grow in partnership with your coach can help you meet your goals. You can connect with your coach in a variety of ways to best meet your needs; coaches are available for in-person visits, virtual meetings, phone calls, email and even text messaging.
Menu of Coaching Services
Below is a sample of coaching supports that support continuous quality improvement available through BrightSpark. Please contact us to learn more.
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Quality Recognition Coaching
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Developing and implementing policies and practices.
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Observation and feedback to improve classroom practice.
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Setting goals to support program and individual growth.
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Classroom Organization and Environment Coaching
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Engaging teacher-child interactions and emotional support.
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Instructional support and facilitation of learning and development.
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Creating a high-quality learning environment.
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Social-Emotional Skill Development Coaching
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Social-emotional tools and curriculum support.
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Expulsion prevention tools and support.
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Promoting positive identity development.
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Leadership Coaching
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Being reflective and supportive in leadership roles.
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Supporting anti-bias and anti-racist practice to create inclusive and equitable outcomes.
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Skill building to provide strengths-based feedback.
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Business Coaching
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Enrollment practices and support.
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Recruitment, selection, and retention of staff.
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Building equitable family and staff policies.
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Modeling and Guided-Practice Coaching
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Supporting and growing a teacher’s knowledge and skills in:
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Developmentally appropriate practice.
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Culturally responsive instruction and dual language support.
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Science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM).
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Individualized Coaching Supports
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Provider led coaching sessions.
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Mental Health consultation: Holding Hope.
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Reflective practice as a quality improvement tool.
Thrive Specialty Coaching
Developed by leaders within BrightSpark’s Coaching Department, THRIVE expands on our previous 1:1 coaching model by introducing drop-in office hours, group learning experiences, and both in-person and virtual meeting options.
This way, providers can choose the level of engagement that is best for their individual quality-improvement journey. There are 4 THRIVE groups available to providers focused on these topics:
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Social Emotional Learning/Trauma Informed Care/Expulsion Prevention Partnership (EPP)
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Social Emotional Learning: Coaching and support to help programs understand and promote young children’s social-emotional development—building awareness, strategies, and strong adult-child connections at school and home.
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Trauma-Informed Care: Support and learning to strengthen trauma-informed care in early childhood—helping providers reflect, respond with empathy, and build safe, connected environments for young children.
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Expulsion Prevention Partnership (EPP): Supports early learning providers with coaching and tools to prevent expulsion by building inclusive, culturally responsive practices, addressing implicit bias, and fostering strong family partnerships to create safe, supportive learning environments for all children.
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Business Supports -
Thrive Business Supports is dedicated to helping childcare providers and directors strengthen their programs and grow their enrollment. We provide personalized support that focuses on the whole business from how your environment looks and feels, to how you promote and run your services each day. Our coaching services covers a wide range of areas, including marketing support, technology assistance, business management, licensing guidance, grant support and so much more. We’re here to help your program THRIVE one step at a time.
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Emergent/Behavior Support
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Emergent Coaching: This is a flexible support service designed for providers who prefer assistance on an as-needed basis. Rather than being assigned a dedicated coach, these providers have access to a team of experienced coaches and can also participate in group coaching sessions and other collaborative support opportunities.
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Behavior Support: We provide comprehensive, culturally responsive coaching and support to foster a cooperative and respectful classroom community among children and adults. Our approach emphasizes developmentally appropriate practices and sensitivity to cultural needs and differences.
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Rapid Response
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The Rapid Response Team mobilizes to support both family child care and centers in King and Pierce counties in all things related to Washington Administration Code (aka the “WAC”) including understanding, implementing and remaining in compliance with Washington State Licensing regulations. Rapid Response coaches help child care providers with all manner of health and safety requirements as well as documentation including staff and child files, policies and handbooks.