Ben Courtney has always enjoyed helping people learn.
During the past nine years, he's taught second and third grade students at Kathryn Winn Primary and Cartmell Elementary. This school year, he's taking on a new challenge as instructional coach at Carroll County Middle School, where he'll work alongside teachers to strengthen instruction while staying connected to students.
"I've always wanted to be an instructional coach," Courtney said. "I love mentoring teachers and really diving into instruction. I enjoy the craft of teaching, and this role allows me to stay involved in classrooms while supporting teachers and students."
As he begins his new role, Courtney says his goal is to build on the strong work already happening at Carroll County Middle School.
"I don't want to throw everything out," he said. "I want to continue what's working and make adjustments where they're needed."
One area he's especially excited to support is student engagement.
"I think making learning fun has always been one of my strengths," he said. "The middle school teachers know their content better than I ever will. My job is to help find ways to make that learning engaging so students want to be part of it."
Courtney also hopes to strengthen connections across the district. Having taught at both Kathryn Winn Primary and Cartmell Elementary, he has relationships throughout Carroll County Schools and sees opportunities to help create greater continuity as students move from one school to the next.
"I'd love to build more unity between our buildings," he said. "We all have the same goal, and working together helps our students succeed."
Many middle school students already know Courtney from his years in the district, and he's looking forward to seeing familiar faces in the hallways.
"They're probably going to be surprised to see me wearing a button-up shirt," he joked. "I hope to still be my same goofy self while helping teachers and students grow."
Courtney is excited to join the Carroll County Middle School team and work alongside teachers, students and administrators as they continue building a positive school culture.
"I really love education," he said. "Helping teachers become even better at what they do means we're helping more students succeed, and that's what it's all about."