Debra Klevens

Instructional Coach Donna Archer leads the faculty meeting Monday, Sept. 16, through an exercise where she had teachers put a GIF to describe their favorite season on the presentation.

Despite vowing never to enter the teaching profession due to its demanding nature, Instructional Coach Donna Archer brings a unique perspective shaped by years of observing educators’ hard work and dedication.

Archer’s mother was a teacher, but that pushed Archer away instead of sparking an interest in education. Seeing her mother’s workload, she was concerned about the tremendous burden.

Instead of pursuing education, Archer planned for a career in mathematics. However, as she continued her degree at Southern Illinois University—Edwardsville, she gravitated towards teaching anyway.

“Math is where it started,” Archer said. “During my degree, I realized I really liked teaching people math. Although I knew I wanted to be a teacher, it took me a while until I decided to make the jump to teaching. The final push came when my former principal asked me where I could make the most impact.”

One of her initial misgivings about teaching was the difficulty of imparting knowledge. Ironically, that very challenge became the driving force behind her passion for education.

“I knew that math wasn’t an easy subject for everybody to understand, so I wanted to make it easier for people,” Archer said. “I loved watching when someone who once struggled—someone who couldn’t make sense of a problem—left with newfound clarity and understanding.”

After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Archer chased her passion, graduating with a master’s in instructional technologies. She began teaching older students and found fulfillment in helping them grasp complex concepts.

“I taught math for a while and still do at St. Charles Community College. I teach pre-algebra and applied math courses,” Archer said. “Although I won’t see students often in Clayton, I still love to work directly with students.”

After dedicating nearly a decade to teaching, Archer is leaping into full-time instructional coaching. This transition marks a significant milestone in her career, allowing her to use her extensive experience to mentor and support educators.

“I taught math for nine years, and then I’ve been an instructional coach since then,” Archer said. “I transitioned to this role because of the idea of being able to help and partner with teachers in lots of different ways. My favorite experiences are when we can both work together and gain great experiences. Although it was hard to identify all the teaching styles when I started, I now have a lot of ideas I want to share.”

Now, Archer is bringing her mission to 83 full-time teachers. As good as the program currently is, Archer is determined to enhance the learning experience for students further.

“I try to bring resources and new ideas to support teachers the best I can,” Archer said. “I believe I can make a great impact on students and teachers. I like helping teachers grow and become better.”

Archer’s work is heavily collaborative. She helps teachers identify their strengths and areas for improvement and offers them new strategies, resources, and tools to influence teacher development and student achievement positively. 

“When supporting a teacher, we are partners completely. I attempt to learn as much from them as they do from me,” Archer said.

Archer regularly works with teachers and observes various classes to learn new teaching techniques. Then, she adds these new strategies to her toolkit to share with others.

“I was working with a teacher last week, and we were talking about strategies, like how can we break things up. She [said], ‘I never would’ve thought of it this way,’” explained Archer. “Then, she gave me a vocabulary strategy, [and] I walked away like, ‘I’m gonna have to share this with other people.’” 

Despite her job’s many responsibilities, she greatly enjoys the process.

“My job changes every day. I usually look into what people are doing, sometimes lead professional development, and sometimes meet with the principal to see their impressions,” Archer said.

She views the struggle as part of her journey, contrasting her initial view from childhood.

“I love seeing everyone improve their skills and seeing what’s new. I always think learning is fun, and [I’m] hoping others can feel the same,” Archer said. “ I try to identify how we can help teachers continue to learn, how we can better support students, how we can try new things and learn new things [to] make the classroom environment even better.”

Her experience as a parent of four has helped her to acclimate to a busy schedule.

“It’s like parenting—it gets easier as you go,” she said.

For Archer, the workload is worth the experience of being a part of the collaborative environment. Although teaching was not her initial goal, it eventually became her dream.

“Teaching is where I can make an impact on everyone around me. That’s why I love it,” Archer said.