Kirsten is the Director of Personalized Learning and Growth at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH. Pinkerton Academy is an independent school contracting with 7 sending town districts. Pinkerton serves over 3,200 students with 400 faculty and staff in a 9-12 grade setting. Kirsten serves as the Lead Instructional/Curriculum Coach for Pinkerton. She develops and coaches 8 “Lead Teachers” who are aligned as the instructional coach for their disciplines. These coaches in turn model, co-teach, plan, and design with their department faculty on research based instructional practices. Kirsten designs and develops with this team the professional learning sessions for the school community. These trainings are designed to not only enhance understanding but to move faculty to an actionable and refinement stage of teaching and learning. Kirsten believes that leading innovative teachers means having an open-mind and a clear mission. As a teacher needs to know her students, an instructional coach should have a strong understanding of how to stimulate curiosity and motivate the school community; cultivating a sense of team through relationships that build trust. Working collaboratively with many leadership teams and schools across New Hampshire, Kirsten has developed plans/goals for individual teachers, coached and consulted school leaders, and analyzed data to help understand strengths and needs for better instructional practices.