A little bit about meMy name is Marisa Mitchell and I am excited to have your child in my class this year! I received my undergraduate degree at Washington State University, and soon after became an assistant at a school for children who are deaf/hard of hearing called Listen and Talk. After that experience, I knew I wanted to be a Teacher of the Deaf, so I headed to the Midwest for graduate school. I attended Fontbonne University for my Masters in Early Intervention in Deaf Education. During graduate school, I fell head-over-heels for Central Institute for the Deaf, where I completed a rotation in the toddler class. Since then I have made St. Louis my home and this year will be my third year teaching at CID in the Early Childhood Center.

My goal for this year is for us to establish a wonderful relationship that will ultimately benefit your child. My hope is to incorporate coaching sessions with you throughout the school year so that we can work together to help your child reach their full potential.

Coaching routines might include…

Reading books Pretend play Meal/snack preparation Making a craft Whatever you and your child like to

do at home together

ResourcesMcWilliam, R. A. (2010). Working with families of young children with special needs. New York: Guilford Press.

Cole, E. B., & Flexer, C. A. (2007). Children with hearing loss: developing listening and talking (2nd ed.). San Diego: Plural Pub.

Contact Information:

Work Phone: (314)Cell Phone: (425) 893-3224Work Email: mmitchell@cid.edu

Central Institute for the Deaf825 S Taylor Ave

St. Louis, MO 63110

COACHING: PARENT RESOURCE PACKET

For parents and caregivers of students in Marisa Mitchell’s class

What is coaching?“Coaching is an interactive process of reflection, information sharing, and action on the part of the primary care providers, used to refine existing practices, develop new skills, and promote continuous self-assessment and learning… (McWilliam, 2010)

Some parents and caregivers might have been introduced to the concept of coaching during their early intervention services. If you did not, rest assured because you are in the right place.

Because children who are in preschool at CID are learning so many new vocabulary words, language structures

older, we expect longer and more complex utterances, and I’ve come to realize it isn’t always easy for parents to correct, expand or provide prompts to assist with their child’s speech/language.

Because of this, I would like to offer coaching sessions in order to empower you to be the best teacher for your child.

Why is coaching beneficial?

Coaching of parents and other care providers by early childhood practitioners builds the capacity of family members to promote the child’s learning and development (McWilliam, 2010).

My role as your coach will be to identify your priorities for your child’s development and to work together to support the natural and exciting

What will our coaching sessions look

like?

Whether you are looking for more information about your child’s hearing loss or assistive technology, how to help correct/expand their language, or some fun ideas for how you can incorporate enriched verbal interactions into your daily routines, I would love the opportunity to work with you and empower you to do so.

I am offering coaching services at school, if your transportation and schedule permits. If it does not, I would be more than happy to provide coaching services in your home.

These sessions can happen on a monthly basis, or we can schedule them however frequently you feel would be the most beneficial for your family.

Please contact me if you are interested in receiving coaching sessions and we

and concepts, how parents and caregivers converse with them about these things as well as their daily routines is of the utmost importance. Parents and caregivers are a child’s first and best teacher. As children get

language opportunities that can come from every day activities. The goal is not to give you “homework” but to enable you to create these language-rich environments in your own home.

can set up a time to do so. I am looking forward to working with you and your child.