How Fellows are Supported at Saga

As a new Saga Fellow, I wondered about how much support I would receive inside and outside the classroom–especially since I work remotely. To my surprise, Saga offers more support than I could have ever expected. From continual communication within the classroom, to the after-hour professional developmental series, Saga provides support whenever you need it.

Site Director Support
My primary source of support comes from my Site Director. Site Directors oversee all fellows and students throughout the day. They regularly observe tutors while they are in sessions with students, and provide ongoing feedback to help the fellows further develop their skills as educators. 

Site Directors are very important to the Fellows. They are the go-to person for questions and feedback, as well as  being a steady presence in the classroom, and a role model for how to be an educator. 

My Site Director communicates with our team weekly by sending weekly emails, sharing her weekly agenda and holding one-on-one meetings with each fellow. She also updates us with important events, meeting dates and reminders in her agenda and the weekly email.

Team Support
When it comes to receiving support in the classroom, our team stays in constant communication. We meet every morning before class starts and usually have two to three meetings a week during planning periods. Our team of Fellows are always helping each other out. During our weekly meetings we plan lessons together and talk about any important updates and procedures. 

Collaboration and Communication
My favorite part about collaborating is that we can share google documents such as lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations and math games with each other. With this process, we are able to edit these documents at the same time, provide immediate feedback to each other, and work collaboratively on projects as a team.

Throughout the day, our team communicates through Slack to give updates about student's attendance records, ask questions, lesson plans, and send important reminders to each other. Slack is our main form of communication during the day. We have a team channel we use for most messages throughout the day. We have a fellows-only channel for lesson planning purposes as well. There are a ton of other channels you can follow on Slack that may spark people’s interest like cooking, games and puzzles, music, creative writing, and more. This is a fun way to manage stress, have a laugh, or connect with other fellows and staff during the day. 

For serious or private inquiries, you can private message anyone in Slack such as my Site Director, Learning Coordinator, or the Director of Programs. Of course, it’s best to email or call a supervisor if there is an emergency and need to reach someone more quickly. There are also several help channels on Slack for specific technical assistance.

Professional Development
Saga has built a safe community for their employees. They offer wellness programs that focus on physical health, mental health, nutrition, and finances. I learned about investing, saving, and planning for retirement. Some other workshops included how to build credit, net worth, IRAs, and 401Ks. 

Saga Fellows have the chance to reflect on these learning series and win prizes for participating. By far, my  favorite events have been joining the book club and attending the murder mystery dinner to celebrate Pi Day. In bookclub we read “Equity Centered Trauma-Informed Education” and discussed national inequity in the education system, and how trauma affects our students in the classroom and outside the classroom. Joining the book club allowed me to grow as a first year educator and practice small changes that produce a more positive learning and trauma-informed environment for our students.

Saga has many ways to connect with others and share experiences, whether it be in person or remotely. Our company truly cares about the well-being, personal, and professional development of its employees and Fellows. It is refreshing to represent a company that always supports me, provides feedback which makes me better at my job, and connects me with a team of amazing educators. I would highly recommend applying to be a fellow with Saga Education. 

Lindsay Lopez (she/her, they/them) is a Saga Fellow, serving students online in Broward County, FL.