Des Plaines teacher Kristi Ryken plays key role in coaching her colleagues

Teachers have it tough. Beyond just getting a room full of young people to learn, they're also expected to use new technologies, adapt to ever-changing guidelines and keep in mind the individual strengths and weaknesses of each student.

Kristi Ryken knows all this because it's her job to help make fellow teachers better.

"Teaching is the best, hardest job I think there is," Ryken said. "I love it, but it is really exhausting at the end of the day."

As an instructional coach at Maine West High School, Ryken helps her colleagues with the ups and downs of teaching, and helps them become better versions of themselves.

Brent Shaphren, a Maine West teacher in the fine arts department, said some of his colleagues are nervous about having their teaching observed. But Ryken interacts with teachers in a way that is helpful without being intrusive, he said.

"You don't get the sense that she's judging you," Shaphren said. "You get the feeling that she is there just to help you figure out how to be better."

Every Maine West teacher, regardless of their experience, is required to spend three class periods a semester with an instructional coach.

Some teachers do just the minimum, but a substantial number ask to work with her beyond that, Ryken said.

Nate Hassman, who has been teaching science since 1998, said he feels blessed to have had Ryken as his coach for the last two years. They work together in his classrooms like scientists in the field to figure out the best way to help his students learn, he said.

"We're really in the same boat," Hassman said.

Jenny Peters, a Maine West history teacher, believes Ryken is so effective in working with teachers because of her positive attitude and flexible approach to coaching.

"She understands that not all teachers teach the same way," Peters said. "(Ryken) doesn't want them to fit a mold, she wants them to grow and expand their skill set."

Working together, they addressed Peters' desire to inspire students to imagine their lives after high school by creating a unique lesson plan that gets kids thinking their future careers.

"It is a valuable way for them to understand themselves and think about their future sooner," Peters said. "It's because of Kristi's guidance that we were able to do this."

In addition to coaching, Ryken teaches two periods of AP Environmental Science each day.

Maine West Principal Audrey Haugan said Ryken is an excellent classroom teacher who she enjoys watching work with students.

"She has crazy amounts of energy," Hugan said. "The students hang on every word. They understand why they are learning what they are learning."

Haugan said Ryken is able to challenge high-level students and get them thinking about the real world applications of the curriculum.

Ryken came to teaching late. She went to school to be an engineer and got a good job, but after a few years decided she needed to give teaching a shot. After earning her teacher's certificate from DePaul University, she started at Maine West in 1998.

Now, 17 years on, she may be better than ever because of all she has learned while coaching her colleagues.

Ryken said many of the teachers she observes use skills that they don't even know they have.

"Pointing out to someone how they do something well that they don't even know they do is fun," Ryken said. "When that happens I say the teacher was unconsciously competent."

Ryken said while the lows of teaching are lower than the worst parts of working as an engineer - such as having to tell her students that their classmate had committed suicide - she has found the highs to be much higher.

"Kids will come back (after graduating) and say, 'You really make me think of the world differently,'" Ryken said. "To an 18-year-old life is simple. So when they start bringing that into question, that is a high.

"I can say, OK, all of the nights staying up late making lesson plans, all of the work, it was all worth it because the kids were really learning something."