COpilot | COpilot

Troy Rivera

Who are you?

I am Troy Rivera. I live in Northern Colorado. I have 14 years experience in education. I am passionate about my profession and advocate for it, greatly. I love helping others find their passion and becoming successful.

What led you to education?

I had many amazing educators in my life. These educators were passionate and did everything they could to help me and my friends succeed. Because of them, and the heart I have, I became a teacher. I wanted to give back what my teachers gave me. I want to help others find their passion and succeed in the world. Also, I love advocating for my profession as an educator. Educators are people who change the world one student at a time.

What do you have a knack for? How did you find that out?

I have a knack for nature and running. In the summer of 2016, I ran a half-marathon and climbed a 14er. Just the idea of the challenges allowed me to stretch my learning curve, skills, and abilities. By accomplishing these feats, I have discovered new passions in my life.

What are you passionate about personally? What do you really enjoy? What can’t you stop talking about?

I am passionate about learning and living life. I enjoy sharing and hearing about successes of challenges life brings. Just sitting down and having a conversation is amazing to me. I learn so much about others and am able to give others a slice of my life.

Where can we find you when you’re not working? What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend or a Sunday afternoon?

You can find me either strolling in a park taking pictures, running the streets improving my running skills, climbing and hiking the amazing Rocky Mountains to enjoy the beauty of nature, or relaxing by reading a book.

Become a COpilot class facilitator!

Are you wondering what that little paper airplane on some facilitator photos means? Are you interested in teaching other teachers content and strategies that actually work? Do you want to be a leader in your Association? Would you like to make some extra money?

If you answered "Yes!" to any of these questions, then you should definitely consider becoming a COpilot class facilitator. The best part about facilitating classes to other educators on COpilot is learning with people from all over Colorado who are just like you. Every COpilot class gives you and other educators a chance to learn instructional and leadership strategies that truly make a difference in students' lives!

Facilitating classes on COpilot can definitely be intimidating, but the good news is that CEA supports you every step of the way. The process to become a facilitator, set up a class, and get to teaching is actually pretty easy. Just take a look at this short list:

Contact Casey Kilpatrick, the Director of Learning Services at the Colorado Education Association, and express your interest in facilitating a class.
Casey will arrange a time to meet with you via Zoom to discuss what you'd like to teach. We are always looking for new classes, so no topic is really out of bounds!
After the meeting, you'll need to fill out a syllabus so CEA can get the class approved for credit (we'll give you a template).
Once Casey receives the completed syllabus, he'll arrange another meeting to set up your class shell and walk you through the COpilot Learning Management System (LMS).
You'll then have the chance to build your class and get feedback from CEA about the process.
Once your class finishes, CEA will pay you for the number of students who completed your class (for more information about payment rates, please contact Casey Kilpatrick at CEA)

That's really all there is to it. CEA will take care of all the technical support, marketing, credit approval, evaluations, and other questions that come up. All you really need to do is work with amazing educators on a topic that fits your passions.

Now...what about that paper airplane?

Facilitators who earn that airplane means they are WINGS certified. All of those awesome Colorado educators have taken a rigorous, 30-hour, two graduate credit class all about online learning and facilitation. WINGS certified facilitators make more money per student who completes a class and have special recognition across the Association. To become a WINGS certified facilitator, you first must facilitate a class at the base level. You then need to complete the WINGS COpilot Proficiency Program that is offered every spring. Please contact Casey Kilpatrick at CEA for more information.