Meet Amanda, Life Coach

March 7 was Employee Appreciation Day, but we’re celebrating our team members all month long by sharing their stories. Read more about Amanda Conti, Life Coach at The Spire School, part of Greenwich Education Group.

What is your favorite thing about working here?

Spire's sense of community and the creativity amongst us. Both teachers and students are incredibly talented in a variety of areas. The best part is how we all capitalize on and embrace these gifts. We live by Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences and encourage students which is something that resonated with me when pursuing my masters.

What keeps you coming to work each day?

My team and the students I work with are what keep me going. The life coaches are supportive, caring, and becoming my second family. Our students make me laugh and amaze me with their strength every time I walk through those doors. I get to do what I love every day, helping students navigate one of the best and most challenging times in their lives, figuring out who they are and who they want to be.

How do you make an impact on students’ lives?

In the most honest way, we help students help themselves. Some examples of these are:

• Listening to them and making them feel heard

• Helping students navigate their emotions

• Determining what tools/strategies work best for them

• Instilling confidence within them

• Actively working as an advocate for the student to their team (teachers, parents, providers, etc.)

• Supporting students with building lifelong structures/routines

Which one of our BetterTogether values resonates with you most personally and why? (Integrity, Accountable, Collaborative, Inclusive, Supportive)

All of these values are so important in the work I do with students every day, it's honestly hard to choose. If I had to pick one, I think it has to be collaborative. For me, personally, working with others is the best way to be successful. Not one person has all the answers. Combining different ideas, gaining insight, seeing a new perspective, receiving wisdom, challenging our thinking, these things are so important to do to ensure we are providing students with the best support.

What does a “day in the life” look like for your role?

Most days I am always on the move! Between checking in with students, providing teachers with strategies, observations, connecting with outside providers/parents, and collaborating with my fellow life coaches, my days are pretty busy. I love getting to talk with people all day about how to best support students and being an advocate for those finding their voice.

Can you talk a little bit about your career trajectory and what led you to where you are now?

I've basically been working since I was 14. Between babysitting, camp jobs, retail, restaurants, every conceivable teen job you could think of. During this time, is when I realized I loved working with kids in some capacity. This inspired me to pursue my master's in school counseling from WestConn (Western Connecticut State University). While getting my masters, I worked at a law firm to hone my professionalism. My first job working with children was as a child developmental specialist, ensuring children birth to age 3 were reaching their milestones and receiving services as needed. Next, I worked as a school counselor with Catapult Learning, partnering with K-8 Catholic schools in the Bridgeport Diocese to provide counseling services and social-emotional learning. Which finally brought me to Spire, where I am very happy to be working with a team and caseload of students that allows me to get to know students comprehensively.

What has been your proudest moment or accomplishment in your role?

What comes to mind is the parent/student event I co-facilitated when I first started at Spire! Parents and students came together after school to participate in a Spire themed escape room. It was great getting to see our high schoolers and their family team up to solve riddles, find clues, and complete tasks. I loved bringing the community together to do something fun and enjoyable!

What is something about you that not many people know?

Well, that's hard to think of since I'm an open book! Some of my favorite things to do are cook, see live music, play video games, read, escape rooms, and try different cuisines. Most people know I was recently married, but don't know it was the week before I started at Spire!