Tricia Coon astounds as a guest, describing the balancing act between her roles as Madison Central School District’s PreK-12th Grade Office Administrator and the Girls’ Modified Basketball Coach. Tricia shares how she establishes and maintains relationships with caregivers, their children as well as with students that are sent to the office for various reasons by classroom educators. Three of Tricia’s basketball players, Taylor, Adrionna and Hunter, share lessons learned from her coaching on the court that they carry with them beyond the game into life.
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Tricia Coon astounds as a guest, describing the balancing act between her roles as Madison Central School District’s PreK-12th Grade Office Administrator and the Girls’ Modified Basketball Coach. Tricia shares how she establishes and maintains relationships with caregivers, their children as well as with students that are sent to the office for various reasons by classroom educators. Three of Tricia’s basketball players, Taylor, Adrionna and Hunter, share lessons learned from her coaching on the court that they carry with them beyond the game into life.
Find Madison Central School District and Tricia Coon on Social Media:
Get solutions from Schoolutions!
#solutionsfromschoolutions #schoolutionsinspires #schoolutionspodcast
Schoolutions –S1 E18: Office Administration At Its Best: For the Love of Children & Basketball with Tricia Coon, Taylor Phillips, Adrionna Millington, and Hunter Sherman
[00:00:00] Olivia: Welcome to Schoolutions, where listening will leave you inspired by solutions to issues you or others you know may be struggling with in the public education system today. I am Olivia Wahl, and I am excited to introduce you to my guest and friend, Tricia Coon. Tricia is the pre-K through 12 office assistant for Madison Central School District in Madison, New York.
[00:00:27] Olivia: Tricia is also the girls modified basketball coach, and I'm going to add a title to her repertoire. I am deeming Tricia the heartbeat of Madison Central School District. Tricia not only nurtures relationships with students and educators in the district, she also goes to great lengths to communicate with students’ caregivers.
[00:00:51] Olivia: Tricia grew up on her parent’s dairy cattle farm in central New York. She earned her associate's degree at Morrisville Ag and Tech and went on to get her bachelor's at Cornell University. Tricia began her career with Madison Central by substitute teaching, then becoming the office assistant. I am honored and excited to have Tricia as a guest.
[00:01:16] Olivia: Welcome, Tricia.
[00:01:17] Tricia: Thank you. I am excited too. I've been thinking about this all week.
[00:01:20] Olivia: We are also extremely lucky to have some of Tricia's eighth-grade basketball players joining us. Adrionna Millington, Taylor Phillips, and Hunter Sherman. Taylor, I'd love to have you introduce yourself to listeners.
[00:01:36] Taylor: Hi, I'm Taylor Phillips.
[00:01:37] Taylor: I'm an eighth-grade student here at Madison Central School. And one of my hobbies has to be basketball. One of my favorite teachers here at Madison has to be Miss Coon. Because she's always been there for me and she's always been there to help us through tough times.
[00:01:56] Olivia: I'm excited, Taylor, to have you here as a student voice to share what Tricia's impact has been on your life as a coach.
[00:02:05] Olivia: I know from having a freshman in high school, as well as a fourth grader, that students excel in many different ways and often sports are an outlet that students look forward to all day long during classes. One of the highlights that we've heard about Ms. Coon in the interview is she is not only the office assistant for the K 12 district, but she's also the modified girls’ basketball coach.
[00:02:31] Olivia: Let's talk lessons you've learned from her on the court.
[00:02:35] Taylor: She's taught, not just me, but all the other girls on the team how to treat each other and how to work with teamwork. She taught us how to work together with each other and just be nice to each other and help each other throughout.
[00:02:49] Olivia: I know the modified season's done. How has this carried forward into school outside of the basketball court?
[00:02:58] Taylor: Since we've got to know more people on the court and know who we are, we were better in school.
[00:03:05] Olivia: I have seen Tricia with some of you in the office at different times, and she has a gift of calming when we're frustrated or we may have been sent to the office for making a choice that wasn't stellar in the moment.
[00:03:20] Olivia: Have you ever experienced that with her?
[00:03:22] Taylor: I could come down here if I needed to and take a breather, if that makes sense. I could tell her anything. I'm able to vent with her.
[00:03:31] Olivia: Hmm. Why do you think?
[00:03:33] Taylor: Because she's super easy to talk to, and she's very understanding when it comes to stuff like this.
[00:03:41] Olivia: And my favorite thing is she doesn't agree necessarily with choices that you all have made.
[00:03:47] Olivia: It's much more offering solutions around choices you could have made and helping you talk and think through. So it's, it's not sugarcoating anything, but she's so real. And that's one of my favorite things about her for sure. Tricia, I also want to ask you, who's an inspiring educator that has touched your life?
[00:04:06] Tricia: An inspiring educator that has touched my life is Mr. Jim Ford. He was my basketball coach and he comes back a lot, helps us. He's a big historian. He was my history teacher. History was not my strong suit, my strong suit with math and science, but he made it interesting and fun. So, I try to do the same thing of making things interesting and fun.
[00:04:34] Tricia: It seems like the kids would rather have fun doing something, and sometimes they're surprised that they're actually learning at the same time. Mr. Jim Ford, he's in our alumni association. He's a very, very smart man. I looked up to him a lot.
[00:04:51] Olivia: Tricia, I've gotten to see you in action, I'll say, from afar by working with Madison Central School District as a staff developer.
[00:04:59] Olivia: And I get to the school early. You're already there, of course. And you're in touch with the students that may need a hug, may need a little extra love. You are a gift in many ways. And the issue that I see happening in school districts all over the country, when one person is responsible for all of the pre-K through 12th-grade staff members, all of the caregivers, all of the students, it feels like an impossible job to be able to truly connect and see each child, see each staff member for who they are.
[00:05:35] Olivia: Yet you do it. You are amazing. You do it with no one else watching. It's just who you are. And that's why I thought I have to have Tricia as a guest. I need to know, what do you do to connect with caregivers and their students to build that home-school connection? How do you do that?
[00:05:54] Tricia: Well, at first it was trial and error and I try to treat people how I would like to be treated. With the kids, I want them to feel important because sometimes they come to school and this is the only place that they get that feeling. Where I am happy to see you today. I am glad you came here. I am glad you stopped to say hi, you know, and if you need anything, let me know.
[00:06:23] Tricia: You know, you just, you just try to love everybody because sometimes the kids, when they come to school, this is their safe place. I want them to feel that if they need anything, I'm here. You're hungry, I'm here. You're cold, you don't have a blanket at home, let me know. I probably lose a paycheck or two just providing things for the kids.
[00:06:48] Tricia: Whether it's snacks to take home, whether their boots have a hole in it. I just want the kids to feel like they are important.
[00:06:56] Olivia: It just comes so naturally to you to connect with them, and I guess the question is, I see you doing that in the school with students, with teachers. How do you bridge that connection to home to connect with their caregivers?
[00:07:10] Tricia: With the caregivers, say, I notice a kid's having a real bad day, you could try to, you know, make them feel good, and they do something great. While they're in my office, we're like, let's call mom and tell her. Cause some parents, all they're getting is the bad calls. I like to call and say: Hey, guess what? Taylor got a 94 on a test today. And... She's feeling great about it.
[00:07:34] Olivia: That's really important too. A lot of caregivers are reticent to go into school if it was not a positive experience for them and get their judged for that.
[00:07:43] Tricia: Yes.
[00:07:43] Olivia: And I think it's lost upon a lot of educators when they don't have huge showings for parent-teacher conferences, perhaps you really have to be aware of what was the school experience for the adults, for a student’s grown up in the world. And if it wasn't positive, they're not going to bring it most likely to show up in the school.
[00:08:02] Olivia: And so it's bridging that connection and, and being inclusive and welcoming, and that's what you do.
[00:08:09] Tricia: I did have a family call me a couple of years ago, right around Thanksgiving time. And in the middle of COVID, the father lost his job or the mom was trying to take care of and do the remote schooling, five, six kids at home.
[00:08:25] Tricia: She had to work less hours during the week and she called me and she said is there anything that we can do to make sure the kids are staying up with the classes and everything? Then she just started crying and I said: Oh my gosh, what's the matter? Then she proceeded to tell me, they got a one-year-old at home, they got a senior, they got all kids in between, Christmas is going to be tight, they don't know what they're going to do for Thanksgiving. I hung up the phone.
[00:08:53] Tricia: Contacted my brothers and sisters, told them what was going on. They each donated $100. I went, I bought Thanksgiving dinner, delivered it to the house, didn't, didn't, you know, tell anybody, I just delivered it. And then, we have the giving tree at school here, where kids that are in need, they put their tags and everything up.
[00:09:13] Tricia: So, I talked to my, my family again, and we took all eight kids that were in that family to make sure everybody got the same amount. Then I went in my van, delivered it all.
[00:09:25] Olivia: That's the other piece that you give your time, and you create and carve space to see people. I think it's really important too that when students are sent out of classrooms, perhaps for making a choice that the teacher didn't think was a good choice, that they have a place to go that's safe.
[00:09:45] Olivia: I'm not a big believer in kicking kids out of classrooms. I think there's a much better way to deal with it in the moment.
[00:09:51] Tricia: When I see a student that comes in, usually a teacher will call. Most of the time they're angry at that point. I hang up and write down the time that they called to see how long it takes them to get to me.
[00:10:03] Tricia: By the time they get to me, I watch them to see, are they upset? Are they angry? Are they frustrated? And I just ask them: What happened? Just let them vent to me. I ask them: Could you have made a different choice? I try to de-escalate them before they get into the actual principal's office. And if it's something that they just need to sit and cool down, just take a minute just to regain focus, I let them sit there and then that's one less student the principal has to, to take care of.
[00:10:34] Tricia: If you need a place just to zen, come down and sit with me. And then there's elementary kids too. There's one boy that if he had, he does work for an hour, he gets five minutes with me. He gets to come down and we either color, we play with Legos. He's big into Matchbox cars. So when I see a Matchboxes is on sale, I'll pick up a couple and leave them in spots where he can see them.
[00:11:01] Tricia: And I'm like, you have to have a good week to get that Matchbox and that dollar was well spent.
[00:11:07] Olivia: Tricia, I was in a classroom working with that child in a small group. And he was circling the table while we were attempting to read a book. He was continuously going over to the play area because he wanted to play.
[00:11:21] Olivia: And he's five. And I don't blame him. I want to play too. And I ended up bringing him with me to the office and he showed me his gorgeous Matchbox car collection. He also showed me the map that he created with you and it's laminated. It's amazing. He has a bird's eye view of a. cityscape, yes. As a five-year-old that you gave him the space, you hold it for him safely behind your desk and he lines those Matchbox cars.
[00:11:52] Olivia: I couldn't get over the parking lot that he drew with the perfect little lines.
[00:11:56] Tricia: Yes! And the stop signs.
[00:11:57] Olivia: They’re all to scale! It's so bananas. The cars parked…there it is! There it is. A child that, you know, was really struggling to sit for a small group. He just, he wasn't there and you recognize that and motivate him through what he loves.
[00:12:15] Olivia: And so, I want to shift the conversation. You love basketball.
[00:12:19] Tricia: I do.
[00:12:19] Olivia: That love seeps into your students, into your players. What do you do that makes you the basketball coach you are? How do you do it?
[00:12:30] Tricia: I had three sisters this year on the team. And it was rough at first because when you break it up into two sides, somebody's going to have one of the sisters with them.
[00:12:43] Tricia: So, I had to very strategically break the girls up in spots. And then I had girls that were constantly in the office. And I just told the girls: When you walk into the gym, drama stays at the door. For an hour and a half, you don't need to have drama in here. I said: Because we're going to have fun. Second, we are a modified girls’ team.
[00:13:08] Tricia: Our basics are learning left-hand layups with a left hand, right-hand layups with a right hand, pass, dribble, defend. That's what the JV coach wants you to know when you get to her level. So, I talked to the JV coach and the varsity coach to find out what the girls need help with when they get to you, that you don't have to reteach.
[00:13:33] Tricia: They give me some pointers, those are our main focuses, and we're going to have fun. If you don't have fun, you're not going to want to do it. You, you break them up a little bit, and you go from there. What was really incredible, and I had the principals mention it, during basketball season, was the least drama with the 7th and 8th grade, was from January 3rd to February 18th, that was the least amount of drama that there was.
[00:14:05] Olivia: You're walking in my mind because the lessons you're teaching don't just stay on the court. The lessons you're teaching are life lessons. You are not going to like everyone or be liked by everyone. You are not going to necessarily respect everyone, but we need to learn how to listen.to each other and to work together for an ultimate goal. When do you fit food into the mix of practice?
[00:14:31] Tricia: Well, when we have away games, I, during my lunch break, I run to the store. I get granola bars. I get water, bananas, apples, whatever. I spend usually $25 a game, throw it in a bag. When they get on the bus, here's your snack.
[00:14:48] Tricia: Here's your garbage bag. Cause the bus driver's not there to clean up your mess. And then when we get back to school, I, I circle the bus to make sure, and the girls always clean up, bus drivers are always happy to take the girl’s modified team places.
[00:15:01] Olivia: Adrionna, Ms. Coon is amazing at seeing students and letting them know that she's there for them, even when times are hard. And that's one of my favorite things about her as well.
[00:15:13] Adrionna: I'm Adrionna Millington and I'm in eighth grade. And two of my favorite teachers are Miss Coon and Miss Neiss. Because when I first came to Madison, they were the only ones that supported me, and they were like my friends and they stuck by me.
[00:15:30] Olivia: When you've happened to have to go to the office at different times, you shared with me that Mrs. Coon helps to kind of ground you when you're feeling really upset.
[00:15:40] Adrionna: We just talked through whatever I did or whatever happened, and she would either agree with me or put me in the place where I did wrong, but I learned from my mistake.
[00:15:51] Olivia: How does it feel to have someone that you can do that with in the school building?
[00:15:57] Adrionna: It feels great. I love talking to Miss Coon, and I love her helping me.
[00:16:02] Olivia: The basketball lessons that happen on the court, they don't just stay on the court. So, what have you learned from playing basketball that you try to apply to life?
[00:16:13] Adrionna: What I learned from playing basketball is different people can become a team, and even after basketball ends, those people tend to stick together because it's their team.
[00:16:26] Olivia: It's important to have a team, isn't it? In life. It really is. And to know that you have each other's backs, right? It's a whole separate community and that's why sports are absolutely critical for a lot of kids that may not always find success in the school day, but sports are what they look forward to all day long.
[00:16:46] Olivia: Hunter, I am so excited to have you on as a guest. Can you introduce yourself to listeners?
[00:16:51] Hunter: My name's Hunter Sherman. I'm an eighth-grade student here at Madison Central. And my favorite sport is basketball.
[00:17:01] Olivia: Hunter, who's a favorite teacher of yours?
[00:17:04] Hunter: Definitely Miss Coon.
[00:17:06] Olivia: Why?
[00:17:07] Hunter: She's very supportive. And, kind, and very out there with people.
[00:17:16] Olivia: Say more. What do you, what do you mean out there?
[00:17:19] Hunter: She definitely knows her way with words.
[00:17:22] Olivia: Yeah. She has a way of, I would say Hunter, de-escalating situations that I, I've heard from other players on the modified team. If folks are not getting along, she has a way of coaching you as players to let you know how important it is to get along on the court because that's part of real life.
[00:17:42] Olivia: What is a lesson you've learned from Ms. Coon being your basketball coach?
[00:17:47] Hunter: I learned a lot of communication skills and friendship skills, I'll say, because of Miss Coon.
[00:17:57] Olivia: What are some examples that you could speak to, communication friendship-wise?
[00:18:01] Hunter: I used to not be friends with two girls on the team, maybe three, and I am friends with them currently because of Ms. Coon.
[00:18:13] Olivia: How did she nurture that friendship, or bridge that for you?
[00:18:17] Hunter: Well, she brought on to me sportsmanship, and I just... decided that it wasn't worth fighting for.
[00:18:25] Olivia: So much of sports is learning life lessons and then carrying those lessons from the court into our lives. So, you just spoke to a couple of friendship, communication skills.
[00:18:35] Olivia: Are there any other moments in your life that she's helped you through? A situation that you felt closer to her because of it?
[00:18:44] Hunter: Yeah, sometimes I'll get upset about things and I'll just come down and have a talk with Miss Coon and then go back up to class feeling ten times better than I was.
[00:18:54] Olivia: Tricia is a gift to the school district because she's wearing so many different hats with her responsibilities as running the office for pre-k to twelfth grade.
[00:19:05] Olivia: But she's always available to all of you to pop in and I think that's impressive. Tricia, I'd love to circle back with you and ask you what tips, what recommendations do you have for other pre-K-12 office administrators to be as awesome as you are?
[00:19:24] Tricia: One big thing I would tell them is don't prejudge. This past summer, one of my students, he is now 32, got married.
[00:19:35] Tricia: And as I was at the reception, I looked around and I was like, oh my gosh, these are all my students that I started with here at Madison, and I couldn't believe it. When I first was, uh, hired as a TA (teaching assistant), I had these three boys, and I'm gonna tell you, it was Josh, Tyler, and Cody. Now, the three of them would be in the office all the time for discipline.
[00:20:04] Tricia: They were goofballs, and they were smart, but it wasn't cool to be smart. So, the English teacher asked me if I would tutor them. And I said, absolutely. So, my lunch period was their lunch period. We sat in my office and whatever book the seniors were reading, we would read it. And I said: Do you realize how much we study a week?
[00:20:28] Tricia: And he says: No. I said: Lunch is 30 minutes times five. That's quite a while. That's what's going to help you.
[00:20:37] Olivia: I also remember I was in your office and there is gorgeous artwork up behind your desk that I commented on. And that was something that I tucked away in my mind of how you keep in touch with students far after they've graduated and left the district.
[00:20:52] Olivia: And that was another student that you shared with me.
[00:20:56] Tricia: That student has a Facebook store and I have purchased three of her paintings. And I decorate my wall with them.
[00:21:03] Olivia: They’re absolutely stunning, I guess the bigger picture for us is to know the impact one person can have on many, many, many lives is tremendous. And we are all so very grateful for you, Tricia Coon.
[00:21:15] Olivia: Thank you for being a guest. I can't thank you enough, all of you for your time and doing this interview. I'm excited to share with the world your impact that you have on this community itself. Your selflessness to give your time, your energy, not just to your full-time job as the office assistant, also the coaching role and the impact you have on students’ lives.
[00:21:38] Olivia: It's tremendous. And I know the girls are grateful for you. So am I. Thank you so much, all of you for joining.
[00:21:46] Tricia: Thank you.
[00:21:46] Olivia: And girls, thanks for chiming in to say how awesome Mrs. Coon is because she is.
[00:21:50] Taylor: Yeah, of course. I enjoyed being here.
[00:21:52] Olivia: Bye guys. Thank you.
[00:21:54] Adrionna: You're welcome.
[00:21:56] Hunter: Yeah.
[00:21:58] Tricia: All right girls. Thank you!