For Educators, By Educators Highlight: Pamela Gatlin

For Pamela Gatlin, Director of Client Success at Proximity Learning, everything comes back to teaching.

‍

“I’m not only a former classroom teacher,” she said. “I’m a former Proximity Learning teacher, too. That experience gives me a perspective that shapes how I lead and how my team supports our partners.” Pam taught Math for 8 years in a brick and mortar school, then started teaching ESL virtually in 2018, joining Proximity Learning to teach Math in 2019. By 2021, she started her journey into corporate work int he Client Success team. She started as a lead data specialist, but her experience and expertise quickly promoted her to Director by 2025. 

‍

Pam leads the team responsible for onboarding, implementation, and ongoing support for Proximity Learning’s district and school partners. Half of her team supports individual schools and the other half supports teachers internally. Her work ensures that students and online school teachers have what they need to succeed from day one.

‍

“Our success means student success,” she explained. “We don’t have a vendor-client relationship; we have a partnership. If a district’s goal is to close skill gaps, then our goal is to make sure the curriculum, pacing, and teacher support align to make that happen.”

‍

At Proximity Learning, that kind of alignment is what allows the company to deliver on its promise to be “one efficient operational solution for the whole district.”

‍

What Makes the Client Success Team Unique in an Educational Context?

‍

Pam believes the difference lies in empathy.

‍

“Everyone on my team is a former teacher,” she shared. “We know what it takes to engage students, manage classrooms, and balance a million priorities. That makes us better partners to schools and to our teachers.”

‍

Her approach to client success is rooted in understanding both sides of the equation, the classroom and the district office. “We understand what teachers need to be successful, and we also understand what schools are trying to accomplish,” she said.

‍

That awareness helps her team streamline complex processes like onboarding and implementation, making virtual teaching a seamless extension of each school’s mission.

‍

How Does Being a Former Teacher Influence Onboarding and Communication?

‍

Pam’s own experience teaching virtually shaped the way she now designs onboarding systems for new teachers and districts.

‍

“When I was a teacher for Proximity Learning, I taught at a very small school in Texas,” she recalled. “The most helpful thing they did was make me feel like part of their school community. They included me in faculty meetings, gave me access to the same resources as their in-person staff, and made me feel seen.”

‍

That experience now guides her team’s approach.

‍

“When we onboard teachers, we provide as much information as possible about the school and the students,” she said. “And we work with district leaders to help virtual teachers feel included in things like common planning time. Our goal is to make sure they’re on an equal playing field with their in-person colleagues.” That way they can give students the same learning experience as the classroom next door.

‍

It’s a thoughtful process that ensures every online school teacher has the support they need to thrive, something that directly impacts student outcomes.

‍

How Does Proximity Learning Set Schools Up for Success?

‍

Two of the biggest priorities during onboarding are technology integration and classroom management.

‍

“Our team has extensive experience working with district IT teams to make sure Proximity Learning teachers are set up properly in systems like Canvas or Clever,” Pam explained. “That helps create consistency for students, so the virtual classroom feels just as familiar as their in-person one.”

‍

Her team also focuses on preparing classroom facilitators, the on-site staff who help manage the classroom during live virtual lessons. “We provide training so facilitators understand how to support the virtual teacher and help maintain classroom dynamics,” she said.

‍

How Does the Client Success Team Measure Success?

‍

Pam’s team takes a holistic, data-informed approach to measuring impact.

‍

“One of the first questions we ask a new client is: what’s your top priority?” she said. “For some, it’s filling a vacancy quickly. For others, it’s improving student engagement or closing learning gaps. Whatever matters most to them becomes our focus.”

‍

To track progress, her team uses a mix of tools and relationships. “We collect feedback from clients, conduct walkthroughs and observations, and monitor pre- and post-assessment data,” Pam explained. “We also maintain constant communication—calls, emails, meetings—whatever works best for the school.”

‍

That open line of communication ensures accountability on both sides. “We don’t wait for problems to come up before checking in,” she added. “We follow through on what we promise.”

‍

What Does the Future of Client Success Look Like in Education?

‍

As virtual instruction becomes more common, Pam believes client success will become more collaborative and adaptable.

‍

“Schools are juggling more technology than ever,” she said. “They also have higher expectations for student outcomes. The future of client success is going to rely less on process and more on partnership. It’s about listening and understanding what schools really need.”

‍

That philosophy, rooted in empathy, responsiveness, and shared goals, reflects the same skills that made Pam and her team strong teachers in the first place.

‍

“For teachers moving into client success or edtech, most of the skills are already there,” she said. “Communication, organization, empathy, problem-solving, those are teacher skills. The biggest shift is going from supporting students to supporting teachers and administrators.”

‍

How Has a Teacher Inspired Pam’s Work Today?

‍

When asked about a teacher who made a lasting impact, Pam smiled immediately.

‍

“I think of my fifth-grade teacher, Ms. Matthews,” she said. “She genuinely loved her job and made every student feel like they were her own child. You can’t fake that kind of warmth, it’s just who she was.”

‍

That spirit now fuels her leadership philosophy. “Every day, my team connects teachers like Ms. Matthews with students all over the country,” Pam said. “That’s motivation you just can’t match.”

‍

From the classroom to client success, Pam Gatlin’s story shows what happens when educators lead with empathy and experience. Whether teaching live or managing partnerships, Proximity Learning remains dedicated to one goal: ensuring that every student, everywhere, has access to a certified teacher who’s truly there.

‍

Read more stories from our team of former educators. 

Learn how live virtual instruction can help your district meet every student’s needs with one efficient operational solution. Contact us today.