Christa Stewart

Senior Specialist, East

cstewart@niet.org

Christa Stewart joins NIET with over 20 years of experience in education. Prior to joining our team, Christa worked as an educator and instructional coach, and also holds a license in administration. Christa gained extensive experience as an educator in a TAP school, which contributed to her early success as a highly effective instructional coach.

Christa was part of the Tennessee Department of Education and Institute for Learning's State Mathematics Coaching Project Cohort, which supported her in specialized content coaching. Christa is certified in cognitive coaching and has developed and refined her practices over the years. An integral part of her work focuses on facilitating discourse and supporting data-driven decisions with an emphasis on goal-setting. These practices help transition students toward truly taking ownership of their learning.

Christa earned a bachelor's in education from Lincoln Memorial University, an urban specialist certification from the University of Tennessee, a master's in teacher leadership from Grand Canyon University, and an educational specialist degree in instructional leadership from Lincoln Memorial University.

Christa Stewart

Why are you passionate about working at NIET?

I am passionate about working at NIET because of what NIET represents. As a true educator at heart, I believe in always doing what's best for students. This includes personifying the core principles of NIET: Excellence, Teamwork, Enthusiasm, and focusing on improving student outcomes. Over the past 20-plus years in education, my role may have changed during my career, but my passion and enthusiasm for motivating students using a teamwork approach have always been an integral part of my work. My motto is "Keep students at the heart of everything you do."

What was your favorite subject in school and why?

I love learning and found all subjects interesting, especially in elementary school. However, I really enjoyed social studies as a child. I found that learning about the world, especially history and culture, to be both informative and fun. As a teacher and instructional coach, I developed a passion for mathematics. I find that engaging in meaningful discussion with students about various pathways and strategies, including visual models and representations, to be very rewarding personally and for students.

What do you do in your free time?

I like to spend time traveling with my family and visiting National Parks and Museums. I support my children's talents and enjoy watching as they develop those talents into future careers. I cheer as much as I can in person as my son travels playing soccer. I enjoy working on art projects and gardening with my daughter. I also enjoy volunteering alongside my therapy dog with the University of Tennessee's Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee (HABIT) Program.