Coaching success at New Ulm Middle School
Student Success Coach Christine Skoglund plays a large-scale version of checkers with her daughter Avery Skoglund in the Student Success classroom. The game is one of several in the Student Success Space, which are used to educate students and as rewards.
Several phrases on the wall of Christine Skoglund’s Student Success classroom serve as reminders and aides to students who struggle behaviorally and academically. Skoglund said she has learned several things from her position, including to practice self-care, identify what triggers your negative emotions, and learn from your mistakes while not dwelling on them.
Student Success Coach Christine Skoglund plays a large-scale version of checkers with her daughter Avery Skoglund in the Student Success classroom. The game is one of several in the Student Success Space, which are used to educate students and as rewards.
Several phrases on the wall of Christine Skoglund’s Student Success classroom serve as reminders and aides to students who struggle behaviorally and academically. Skoglund said she has learned several things from her position, including to practice self-care, identify what triggers your negative emotions, and learn from your mistakes while not dwelling on them.
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NEW ULM -- After working as a special education teacher for over a decade, Christine Skoglund found her current line of work on recommendation from her boss.
"When I was working in Spearfish, South Dakota over the last 12 years, they were creating this new position called Behavior Intervention [educator]," she said. "My special education director thought I’d be a good fit for that. I started the program there in the 3-5 grade school. I learned a lot through that first year of creating that program and then I continued from there."
Skoglund is currently the Student Success Coach at New Ulm Middle School. The Student Success Program started two years ago, with Skoglund taking the lead in Fall 2023. She covers many different responsibilities for her 25-student caseload, but it all revolves around helping students who need it.
This includes holding behavior meetings, talking to classroom teachers, running social skills lessons, making connections with student's parents, and giving daily and weekly rewards when students meet their goals. All of it revolves around being there when her students need her.
"I’m their point person throughout the day," Skoglund said. "If they need a break or somebody to talk to, that's me."
The program is generally for students who have struggles with behavioral and social issues as well as academics. Students are referred to the program via a combination of factors such as attendance, grades, behavioral referrals, and input from teachers and parents.
When Skoglund was first learning the position at Spearfish, the position was relatively new in the education realm. Skoglund said now Student Success programs are being widely adopted across the board.
"A lot of school districts are adding this position due to society, social media, and all the stuff our kids have at their fingertips every single day," she said. "Some people call it Behavior Intervention, some people call it Student Success Coach. I prefer Student Success Coach because to be successful every day is different for every single student."
Skoglund said she initially moved to New Ulm because her sister and their family lived in New Ulm and had said great things about the city. Having lived in New Ulm for a good amount of time, she said she enjoys what the town and school district have to offer.
"New Ulm is a very welcoming town," she said. "The school district has a lot of options for the kids whether it’s in school, before school, or after school. I also really appreciate the administration here at the New Ulm Middle School. They have been so supportive and the new Superintendent has been great to work with."
As working with students and making their time in school better is a big part of her job, Skoglund said the most challenging part of her job is the days when kids are struggling. She said as someone who naturally wants to fix things, not always being able to solve the problem right away can be difficult. But when students can rise above and succeed, it makes everything worth it.
"A light bulb comes on and says 'If I behave this way, get all my assignments completed, get good grades, then good things will happen for me," Skoglund said. "In today’s society, I think that’s a real mindset changer."
Working toward students’ success isn't just something in the classroom either. Skoglund is also New Ulm's head Volleyball coach. She said she was able to step right in because the foundation for success had been built well before she came."
"I can see the volleyball program has been taken care of for so many years," Skoglund said. "There’s so much already built into it; I don’t need to add a lot to the program. I bring my own flair and positivity. This summer I will hopefully add another youth camp and high school camp to the summer schedule. During the school year, I have had a great group of volleyball players."
Emotions can be difficult to grapple with and sometimes feel out of control. Skoglund said a big takeaway she's had from her experiences as a Student Success Coach is recognizing your emotions and what triggers them. By doing so, you can better understand them and improve your mindset.
"Knowing how your body feels when you’re going to be upset or anxious," Skoglund said. "Knowing those triggers in your life and being able to maneuver so you know your day is gonna be a good day. [I’ve seen] kids and adults have triggers that they don’t even know about. As soon as you learn and know about these things you can [better regulate negative emotions]."