Training and Tools for Teachers, Parents, and Curriculum Developers

About

Why Educator Coach?

Welcome to Educator Coach! I'm Brian Matthews, a curriculum expert supporting PK-5th grade learners. Over my 20+ years in education, I've learned that student success is crucially dependent on the adults who support them. They need well-prepared teachers, strong home and family support, and access to quality curricular resources.

I empower educators, parents, and curriculum developers with evidence-based, highly efficacious curriculum and transformative training. My mission is to bridge the gap between research and real-world application, making proven strategies practical and accessible. When adults understand what truly works for learnersand implement it with intention—the results are remarkable.

Ready to make a difference? Let's work together to create lasting change in the lives of the students we serve.

Success Stories

  • Brandi Dugal recently launched the highly successful educational game company, The Fidget Game. After creating a core group of successful reading games, she was ready to expand. I worked with Brandi and her team to create a strategic product roadmap aligning high-impact literacy standards in a clear, sequential progression. As Brandi shared, "[Brian's] insightful feedback and creative ideas have truly revolutionized our product line."
  • Dianna S., the parent of a 4th grade student, reached out for help when her daughter was struggling with math. My brief diagnostic assessment revealed key gaps in her mathematics skills, and I worked closely with Dianna to design a personalized learning plan, incorporating actionable steps to build the student's math knowledge and strengthen her self-confidence. Dianna shared, "Brian expertly assessed my daughter's math struggles in elementary school, identifying gaps and designing a personalized learning plan that took her back to the fundamentals... Thanks to his support, she not only caught up but is now thriving as a confident college student."
  • Age of Learning, an educational technology company, needed support with a high-priority Request for Proposal submission for a state-level organization. I analyzed their product content, then revised and added documentation to strengthen alignment, enhance clarity, and increase the overall quality of the submission. Caitlin Dwyer, Proposal Manager, shared, "[Brian's] contributions greatly improved our content and the client's understanding of our program."
  • CNM LLP, a mid-size accounting firm, sought to strengthen its Learning and Development strategy. I partnered with their L&D Manager to design a comprehensive plan aligned to both short- and long-term goals, including a training schedule spanning 29 sessions across 6 service lines. Grounded in continuous improvement practices and adult-learning principles, the initiative led to a 20% gain in learning outcomes and a 27% increase in participant satisfaction.

Current Projects

  • Working in collaboration with a university professor, I developed a knowledge map of 300+ interconnected teacher and literacy coach competencies to support an AI-powered digital literacy assessment.
  • As part of a Request for Proposal submission, I analyzed 500+ learning activities of a K-5 literacy program to document alignment with evidence-based instructional practices for inclusion on a state-approved curriculum list.
  • As an educational consultant, I provided strategic feedback for an educational game company, leading to a product roadmap realignment that boosted educational value and market appeal.
  • COMING SOON: Join me June 2nd in Thousand Oaks, California, for a parent training, “Healthy Habits for Summer Math Growth.” This interactive presentation will focus on strategies to stop the summer math slide for K-5 students.
  • COMING SOON: I am developing a set of Math Quick Checks to help parents quickly identify their children’s strengths and needs in math. These will include a Learning Tracker to chart student progress and over two dozen fun and easy activities to strengthen math learning at home.

My Story

My career journey began as an elementary school teacher in San Jose, California. My first few years as an educator were rough. I imagined it would be like my experience as a day camp counselor in college—fun, interactive activities, songs, and games that would engage my students so much they couldn’t help but learn!

But then reality hit. School isn’t day camp. Students arrive at school with unique academic and social-emotional strengths and challenges. A teacher must discover how to meet each student’s individual needs while balancing requirements and expectations from administrators, parents, and academic standards. Teaching is not rocket science. It’s much tougher.

My turning point came a few years later after moving to Southern California. I remember a class of 5th graders where the average reading level was early 2nd grade. I had one boy in particular who was reading at a kindergarten level. I used all the tools in my instructional tool belt to support him, but nothing worked. I realized that I didn’t have the skills or knowledge to help him.

That experience became the fire that ignited the rest of my career. I had always been passionate about helping students and it broke my heart that I was failing them. I committed to earning my National Board Certification as a Middle Childhood Generalist and then went on to earn a Masters Degree in Elementary Literacy. It was a thrill to finally see success with my students, and I began to share my learning with colleagues.

After more than 15 years as a classroom teacher, I became a reading and math interventionist. I led a team of 4 instructors to deliver individualized small-group lessons to students struggling in math or reading. I learned how to quickly and accurately diagnose student needs and intervene with evidence-based practices. Over my years at the intervention center, my team successfully provided academic intervention to over 140 students, averaging 17.5 students exiting the program per quarter.

I then became a literacy and math trainer for an educational publishing company, where I designed and delivered customized professional development to over 500 K-12 teachers and administrators in 17 states, receiving a 95% highly proficient rating on training evaluations. I delivered trainings at all levels (large conferences, district-wide professional development, school site training, small group sessions, grade-level teams) with groups ranging from as many as 200+ participants to as few as 3–4 participants. I also coached instructional leaders, grade-level teams, and individual teachers.

Most recently, I worked for an educational technology company, leading the team that created the curriculum for a digital, adaptive literacy product used by 50,000 students nationwide. I had the unique privilege of developing a knowledge map of over 500 interleaving learning objectives that became the curricular foundation for the product.

Over my years as curriculum designer, manager, and director, our team created over 1700 digital learning activities, including interactive books, instructional videos, and learning games. Over a half dozen independent studies have shown significant academic growth for students who use the program, including a key study showing that those who used the product scored 45% higher than their peers on the STAR Early Literacy test.

Now, as an independent educational consultant, I love collaborating with teachers, parents, and curriculum designers to create impactful education solutions. Let's work together to help YOU help your learners!