literacy planning how coaches can guide the way to school change. rebecca derenge west virginia...
TRANSCRIPT
Literacy Planning
How Coaches can guide the way to school
change.
Rebecca DerengeWest Virginia Department of Education
Goals of Presentation
What’s this coaching role?
Keys to successful leadership and coaching
Issues we face
Where do we begin?
What Leadership Roles Are Part of Your Responsibility?
Resource to teachers, parents, and other professionals Share ideas and materials with
teachers? Plan with teachers for classroom
instruction? Discuss needs of students with special
educators? Meet with parents and do workshops
for them?
What is Leadership?
A position with authority
Traits (caring, charismatic)
Set of behaviors
Coaching: Is this different from the leadership role of
the reading specialist?There is an acknowledgement that the literacy coach is to work with teachers.May or may not work with studentsSeen as responsible for professional developmentMost continue to lead by “influence”
Forms of Coaching
Level 1 – informal; helps to develop relationships Informal conversations, study groups,
assisting with assessment
Level 2 – more formal, begins to look at areas of need and focus Co-planning lessons, team meetings
Level 3 – formal, more intense Classroom visits; co-teaching lessons
Know Your Responsibilities
Is there a job description?Has everyone seen it – and have you had opportunity to discuss it with teachers, etc.?Was principal involved in developing it or at least supports it?Is it reasonable in terms of workload, etc.?
Work with the Principal
Principals can “make or break” the coaching position. Must understand the
role
Must value the role
““Current difficulties in Current difficulties in reading largely originate reading largely originate from rising demands for from rising demands for literacy, not from literacy, not from declining absolute levels declining absolute levels of literacy”of literacy”
Report of the National Report of the National Research CouncilResearch Council
Know your Research! Is the Research Based in Science?
• Was there an independent evaluator?
• Use of experimental design: control group?
• Use of standardized tests to measure growth?
• Gains sustained over time?
• 3 or more years?
Where to begin the planning process?
At the beginning!
As a beginning Coach, set both your short and long-range personal goals
Form a Literacy Planning Team (by invitation)
Create a Staff Survey
The Literacy Planning team will set goals for the school in terms of Literacy
Develop a menu of services
So What is a Literacy Team?
A Literacy Team could include:
• Classroom Teachers
• Administrators
• Counselors
• Parents
• Special Educators
• Librarian
• Coaches and/or Specialists
What is the role of a literacy team?
• To begin and keep conversations going
• To assess and understand the current reality at your school
• To set priorities
• To establish and carry out staff development
• To create both a short and long-range literacy plan
• To monitor your program and student performanceAdopted from the work of John O’Flahavan, University of Maryland
Working with Groups
Create Team Power: No one of us is as smart as all of us!Create a Clear Purpose and VisionDevelop Skills (Build Bench Strength)Keep the accent on the positive!
Blanchard, K., Bowles, S., Carew, D. & Parisi-Carew, E. (2001). High Five! The Magic of Working Together. HarperCollins Publisher, New York.
CREATING THE STAFF SURVEYDesign questions to fit the needs of the school(s) you’re assigned.
Ask questions that are a direct result of looking at both formal and informal needs.
CREATE A MENU OF SERVICES
The “Menu of Services” could include:
• Research Based Learning Strategies (before instruction)
• Research Based Learning Strategies (during instruction)
• Research Based Learning Strategies (after instruction)
• Cooperative Learning
• Non-fiction Book Talks
Getting to Know you (Building Trust)
Characteristics that help to develop trust:
Being a good listener Acting in a nonjudgmental
way Keeping commitments Being interested in the
person
Getting to Know You (Building Trust continued)
Start with the teacher’s agenda!Maintain confidentialityStay away from evaluating teacher’s performanceRespect ideas and views of teachers
Concerns from WV Coaches
• Need for principal trainings to emphasize importance of their support
• How to conduct study groups
• Time management
• That they aren’t abandoned
• Opportunities to network
GOOD LUCK
Coming events:
October 28, 2004 – Tamarack – Beckley -Robin Fogarty – “Literacy Matters”
November 9, 2004 – Marriott – Charleston - Jane Hill – McREL – “Teaching Reading in Social StudiesQuestions? [email protected] or 304-558-7817 x 348
Some days………….
Coaching can seem like herding cats………..
monitoringmonitoring is the key to is the key to successful implementation successful implementation
of any plan.of any plan.
Remember