Ms. Carlson for EDU 6380

I hope you have all been enjoying learning the ropes of being a literacy instructor with me! Today’s blog post is showing how to use videos to help plan a professional development training. I love videos because it’s a great way to actually see the different strategies in action. However, I also like my videos to be short and sweet because my attention tends to wander if the video gets too long. Does that ever happen to you? I know it happens with my students! 

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y00Oe-cODw

This video is called Best Practices: High School Reading Strategies by Fairfax Network: Fairfax County Public Schools. This short video shows how a high school Social Studies teacher embeds literacy strategies within her content lessons. I chose this video because I work primarily with secondary teachers, and sometimes there is a little bit of a struggle with teacher buy-in. Content teachers don’t always see how a literacy teacher can help them with their content. However, literacy is everywhere! This video shows how content teachers can improve their teaching by adding in literacy strategies. 

The video doesn’t do a great job of going in depth on the different strategies being applied in the classroom. I think this video would be great to introduce different ways content teachers can incorporate reading strategies. After watching the video, we could list the different strategies being incorporated. I would then provide additional information on each strategy and allow time for teachers to discuss how they could use each strategy within their own content. One example would be a lesson on word walls. Teachers could finish up the training by finding a spot in their classroom where they want to start their own word wall. Hopefully, by seeing how simple the word wall in the video was, they’ll be inspired to start their own.

Thanks for watching and learning along with me!

References

Fairfax Network: Fairfax County Public Schools. (2013, December 11). Best practices: high school reading strategies [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y00Oe-cODw

Hello readers, 

One of the many jobs of literacy specialists is to plan professional development. There are so many great tools out there! How do you even know where to start? Don’t worry, today I’m going to provide you with ten amazing sources for professional development; it will be a mix of books and websites. We’ll be starting with books.

Top 5 BOOKS for Professional Development:

1. Subjects Matter: Exceeding Standards Through Powerful Content-Area Reading by Daniels and Zelman. This is one of my favorite books! This book is filled with tried and true methods for improving reading in the content areas. For each strategy, it provides a description, rationale, and explanation for how the strategy is effective. It’s an easy read, and very quick to find something that will work in your classroom! This is a great find for secondary teachers. 
2. Best Practices in Literacy Instruction edited by Gambrell and Morrow. This book is organized by topic, such as phonemic awareness, vocabulary instruction, and writing. Each chapter provides an explanation on the background and current research on the topic, followed by a variety of different supporting activities to try out. I love how easy it is to find just the right activity for your current need. This book has activities for all teachers K-12.
3. Learning Through Academic Choice by Denton. This book is geared towards K- 6 teachers. The theory of this book is that students tend to be more engaged and perform better when they are given choices. While it provides examples for multiple content areas, much of the sample lessons and activities are literacy-based. 
4. The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. My best friend is a middle school ELA teacher, and this is her favorite book! My friend has a passion for matching kids with the right book, and The Book Whisperer explains how to make that happen. This is a great guide for motivating students to read!
5. Teach Like a Champion by Lemov. This book is focused on preparing students for college. It has a mix of everything from classroom management to literacy concepts. Once again, the easy-to-read descriptions make it a quick read. Added bonus– it includes video clips of the strategies in action!

Top 5 WEBSITES for Professional Development

1. NewsELA (https://newsela.com/) This is my go-to website! It’s the perfect place to find supplemental articles on almost any topic. What makes NewsELA unique is that it takes an article and adapts it to a variety of reading levels so that all your students can read at their level. Levels range from 3rd to 12th grade. When reading articles online, students can apply close reading techniques such as highlighting and note taking. This does require creating a free account. If you check out any website today, check out this one!
2. Readworks.org. This is a great website for K-12 teachers. It has reading passages on a vast range of topics. Teachers can look by grade level, topic, or skill. For example, do you need a passage on the Underground Railroad? What about cause and effect? Something for your 2nd graders? The search engine allows you to find exactly what you need. Again, it will ask you to create a free account. 
3. http://www.readwritethink.org/ This website is managed by the International Literacy Association. It provides classroom resources, parent resources, and professional development resources. It’s a one-stop website for literacy instructors! I love that I can find sample lesson plans, professional development videos, and at-home activities all in one place.
4. Instagram. Yes, Instagram can be used for professional development! There are so many fun and engaging master teachers sharing what they are doing in their classrooms! ELA teachers in particular are easy to find! Some of my favorites are @writeonwithmissg, @toocoolformiddleschool, and @theengagingstation. Each teacher has a niche such as literacy strategies, social justice in the classroom, or student engagement. These teachers allow you to see a real life look at their strategies. Many of these teachers sell their lessons and materials through https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/ so that it’s easy to replicate their lessons in your own classroom. This is a fun way to learn about other teachers!
5. https://www.commonsense.org/education/ This website is geared towards digital citizenship and being smart online. I included it because so much of the reading and writing we are doing in our classrooms has shifted online. It has reviews on classroom apps and websites and sample lesson plans. It also has free webinars! One topic I’m excited to learn more about is called “Close Reading the Internet: Developing Critical Thinkers (https://www.commonsense.org/education/webinars). 

I hope that you find something that will help you! So many great options out there. Which one are you going to check out first?

Dear readers, it’s story time. This will be my tenth year of teaching. My very first teaching experience was wonderful. I was a long-term sub for a 5th grade teacher in a small Catholic school. The principal was my own 6th grade teacher, someone that I had long-admired. She knew how to encourage a love of education in her teachers. I looked forward to her stopping in my classroom, and providing advice (and lots of positive comments!) And honestly, I was too young and green to know what I didn’t know. I was sad to leave when the regular teacher came back. 

My next experience was at a charter school. I taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Social Studies, and 6th grade Reading and Math. I loved my content and my co-workers. The kids were terrific. The building and resources were beautiful. However, this job almost made me leave teaching altogether! This school was new, and believed so deeply in being the best school that they could. They invested in professional development, and had several leadership positions in place to help their teachers grow. What could be wrong? 

Readers, this was a toxic workplace. Instead of gently guiding their teachers, the focus on professional development was intense. We had multiple meetings a week that frequently had us leaving much later than usual. We were continually observed, but instead of an environment of gentle growth and guidance, we feared the observations and the subsequent conferences where we were told everything we needed to do better. Teachers were pitted against each other in an environment of competition instead of teamwork. It was bad. I looked for a new job every year, finally interviewing for a job outside of the classroom. 

Readers, I got lucky. I went on one last teaching interview in August, and got a job teaching 6th grade at a traditional public school. I loved my new job! I had great kids, helpful co-workers, and a very supportive administrator/literacy leader. 5 years later, I’m in the same district teaching 7th and 8th grade Social Studies and loving my job. Thank goodness that I didn’t allow my one toxic experience to drive me out of education! I really feel that the key difference in my teaching experience was the leadership. As a literacy leader, I want to make sure that I am someone people can turn to for help; they aren’t afraid to be vulnerable around me. I don’t want to be someone they fear and avoid. 

Here are some ways to create a safe, positive environment and culture in your school so that we can keep our young teachers, instead of scaring them away. 

• Physical Environment: try to create a space that’s warm and welcoming. It’s sometimes tough to do this with a limited school budget, but even creating a conversational area where you sit next to the teacher instead of on the other side of the desk can help.
• Be available: let staff know that you are there to help! Create an open-door policy where staff feels welcome to stop by or email with questions. I know that we’re busy, so even creating “office hours” where we encourage drop-ins is helpful. 
• Be visible: visit classrooms and chat in the hallways. Make sure that your staff sees you more than just on observation day.
• Respect their time: be aware of contract hours. Start and end meetings on time. Waiting for stragglers is disrespectful to the people who made the effort to be on time.
• Respect their knowledge: ask teachers to share their experience and ideas. Let them give suggestions.
• Be vulnerable: share your own weaknesses and growth areas so that staff feels comfortable sharing their weaknesses. 
• Get to know the staff: make connections outside of education. We are all human, and being a teacher is just one part of our life. Share with each other what we do outside of school.

Observation Time! 

Observation is a great tool for growth, but it can be scary. Here are some things to keep in mind.

• Visit often: formal observations shouldn’t be the only time that students and staff see you in a classroom. Pop in and help out during work time. Listen in on a lesson. Chat in the hallways. This makes you regular, friendly presence and not a scary stranger.
• Include positives: acknowledge the good things that they are doing! Make sure you let them know you see their hard work. This also lets you focus on growth. How can they go from being good to better?
• Be objective, not judgemental: Describe what you see and ask questions instead of judging or assuming the worst.
• Listen: let your staff share their thoughts. Acknowledge their experience and expertise. Have a conversation about what they observed, and let them lead the conversation on what could go better.
• Encourage teamwork: let staff know that it’s not a competition. Teachers are not being compared to each other. Rather, the focus is on helping everyone grow at their own pace. 
• Provide gentle guidance: provide help through resources and strategies. Use evidence and data to show areas where they are doing well, and areas where they can improve. 
• Use humor: laughing together is great bonding!

Thanks for sticking with me to the end! As leaders, we are in a position of authority over many of our co-workers; we are an important part of setting up the school climate. Good leaders make their staff feel comfortable and valued. We provide support in a positive manner. We don’t want to be intimidating or scary, otherwise no one will feel comfortable coming for help. This topic is near and dear to my heart. Teaching is a tough, draining job. We need to do everything that we can to make our school feel like a positive place of support for students and staff. 

References

Lyons, C. A., & Pinnell, G. S. (2001). Systems for change in literacy education: A guide to professional development. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books.

High Quality Professional Development

Hello! Today we will be looking at professional development. We’ve all been there before. Some trainings keep us on the edge of our seats, frantically writing notes and nudging our neighbor to whisper about a great new idea. Other trainings have us watching the clock, trying to stay awake, and ignoring all the other things on our massive to-do list that we could be doing with our precious time. Wouldn’t it be great if all professional development was the first description? Today I’m going to break down for you what you can do to create a high quality, engaging professional development program for your school. 

Adult Learners

As educators, we are very used to working with children and adolescents. We have all been trained in instructional techniques. One thing that literacy leaders need to keep in mind, is that a big part of our job is teaching adult learners. In our field especially, we’ll be teaching fellow educators, which means that they know the most effective ways to learn and expect us to deliver. Here are some key characteristics of adult learners:

• Adults have lived life; every teacher has had a unique experience that affects their prior knowledge and skills.
• Adults have developed ideas and beliefs about what works and doesn’t work in a classroom from their experience.
• Adults have high expectations; as I stated earlier, they recognize good teaching when they see it. 
• Adults have goals. They know what they expect from a training and expect us to deliver.
• Adults are busy. They have a lot to do, and professional development needs to be a valuable use of their time.

Teaching adults sure sounds intimidating, right? But don’t worry, there are some definite perks to working with adult learners. 

• Adults are more likely to be flexible learners. They have experienced a variety of educational settings and are experienced at adapting to different environments.
• Adults are motivated. They want to get better, and they hope that their literacy educator can help. 

To sum it up, the adults that we work with are hardworking and motivated. They want to become better teachers, and trust that we, the literacy educators, can help. That being said, we need to be aware of their precious time and needs, and provide meaningful, useful professional development sessions. More on that later!

Constructivist Teaching

Constructivist education theories believe that people learn best when we interact with others. This helps us to learn new ideas and change or replace old ideas. Each person’s prior life experience will affect what they need to learn and what they can bring to the table to help others. When planning professional development sessions, keep in mind these principles for a more effective, engaging experience.

• Active participation is key. Most people don’t enjoy a long lecture!
• Small group discussion is a great way to increase participation. 
• Use context when introducing new concepts. Share how it looks in the classroom.
• Safe environments help teachers feel comfortable discussing and trying new ideas.
• Shared experiences allow teachers to participate and help each other reach new understandings.
• Prior knowledge helps teachers better understand new ideas. Guide teachers towards making connections with a new topic to what they already know and understand.
• Watch for change in teachers’ understanding. As you work in a school long term, you will see that teachers are growing and changing. Embrace and celebrate this!
• Finally, provide additional experiences. Not everybody has the same experience or learning style. Make sure that you are providing additional opportunities for teachers who need more time to grasp a new idea. 

Tips for Planning

Here are some great ideas for making an engaging, effective experience for your adult learners. 

• Collect and analyze data at the beginning of the year. This will allow you to see what teachers already know and what they still need. This helps you to be respectful of their time and goals!
• Be organized and structured. Based on needs, set your goals for the year. What do you want teachers to understand and do at the end of the year? How can you support them?
• Be consistent. Make sure that all of the professional development builds upon the previous session. Don’t jump from topic to topic; make sure that you are following through on previous trainings.
• Provide variety. Adult learners (like children) learn in a variety of ways. Provide small group discussions, one-on-one conferences, observations, and demonstrations throughout the year. 
• Collect and analyze data throughout the year. Yes, more data! This is a way to check that your professional development is meaningful. How can you continue to grow?
• Become a literacy expert. Make sure that you are learning about the best literacy practices so that you can share up-to-date information with the staff. 

Good luck, fellow literacy educators! We have a very important job. 

References

Lyons, C. A., & Pinnell, G. S. (2001). Systems for change in literacy education: A guide to professional development. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books.

Blog Post 4: Comprehensive Literacy Programs 

Welcome back! Today we’ll be looking at comprehensive literacy programs. 

What’s Required?

Per the state of Minnesota, all public school districts are required to have a comprehensive literacy program that is posted on their website for the public to read (Look yours up!). The point of this plan is to reach Minnesota’s goal of having every child reading at or above grade level by the end of 3rd grade. Every plan requires the following 5 things: 

• A process to assess children’s reading ability using a data-supported assessment program.
• A process to notify parents of the results.
• A process for determining the correct reading intervention for students below grade level.
• Evidence-based intervention programs and a progress monitoring system.
• Identify staff needs, and have a plan to meet those needs.

These are the requirements for ALL Minnesota public schools, and yet, some schools have better programs than others. So what are the best schools doing that make their literacy programs so effective? Let’s see if we can figure it out. 

User Friendly Plans

As I was preparing for this blog post, I visited several school’s literacy plans. While trying on the perspective of a non-teacher, I noticed that some plans were much easier to read than others. Plans that used fewer words, and replaced paragraphs with bullet points and graphics were easier to understand. I also felt that the plans that defined basic literacy terms at the beginning of the plan made the more technical aspects of the plan easier to understand. If the purpose of publishing the plan online is to make is accessible to the public, we need to make sure that the plan itself is easy to understand.

This is also important for teachers! When a plan is easy to read and contains useful information, teachers will reference the plan. A plan that is so bogged down in minute detail and educational jargon is often put on the website and forgotten. So I feel one of the most important aspects is to make the plan user friendly. 

The Best Plans Connect the Dots

In my opinion, making a plan useful means connecting the dots. Identify the program goals. What do we need to accomplish? What are the small steps that need to be taken to meet those goals? And finally, what data will we have that shows we have met our goals? For each requirement of the plan, explain how you will reach that step. What does it look like in the classroom? Describe how often students are getting assessed. Maybe (and this will help keep it from getting too wordy) include a calendar chart showing when assessment happens. 

The best programs explained, ‘here are our goals, here’s what we are doing to meet those goals.’ 

• During the school day all students will have 90 minutes of literacy. 
• Within that block, we’ll cover the different literacy components of fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, etc. 
• This time will also be used for small group and independent work. 
• Throughout the school year, the teacher will assess students using this specific program. 
• If your student is below grade level, we have all of these wonderful research-based interventions ready to go to help your student. 
• We’ll be collecting this type of data during class time and/or interventions.
• And also parents, we’ll be letting you know just how your student is doing. 
• Here is when and how you can expect to hear from us: phone calls, emails, conferences. 
• Our teachers will be continuing to grow right along with your student. 
• Our school has set aside this amount of time for teachers to be trained on the best learning techniques for literacy instruction. 

The best programs were well aligned. These are our goals (And teachers have received training on them). This is our curriculum that helps us reach those goals (and teachers have received training on how to use it). These interventions support our curriculum (and teachers received training on how to use them). These assessments measure what was taught in our curriculum and interventions (and teacher received training on how to use it). See a theme? Every piece supports each other, and teachers are also receiving support along the way. 

And finally, make it so that both the teachers and the public are able to easily see and follow along with the literacy plan. A well-thought out plan is only effective if it’s used. And it needs to be used by everybody. A broken link weakens the whole system. 

Thanks for coming along and learning about comprehensive literacy plans. If you don’t already know your school’s literacy plan, check it out! Make sure that YOU are supporting literacy in your classroom. 

References

Bloomington Public Schools. (n.d.). Bloomington Public Schools #271 local literacy plan. Retrieved from https://www.bloomington.k12.mn.us/sites/default/files/content_file_attachments/Bloomington%20Literacy%20Plan.pdf

Butler, B., & Freitag, J. (2019). Glencoe-Silver Lake ISD #2859: Local literacy plan. Retrieved from https://www.gsl.k12.mn.us/cms/lib/MN02202474/Centricity/Domain/8/2019-2020%20Literacy%20Plan.pdf

Irvin, J., Melzer, J., & Dukes, M. (2007). Develop and Implement a Schoolwide Literacy Action Plan. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/107034/chapters/Develop-and-Implement-a-Schoolwide-Literacy-Action-Plan.aspx

Proctor Public Schools. (2013). ISD 704 Proctor Public Schools local literacy plan: Minnesota statute 120B.12 “Reading well by third grade”. Retrieved from https://courses.css.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-1992656-dt-content-rid-22558072_1/courses/201990-EDU6380-700-19SU-70233-N/Proctor%20revised_5-27__lit__plan.doc

Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota. (2018). Sec. 120B.12 MN Statutes. Retrieved from https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/120b.12

Shearer, B. A., Carr, D.A. & Vogt, M. (2019). Reading Specialists and Literacy Coaches in the Real World: Fourth Edition (4th ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.

Hi everybody, it’s me again, back with more information on literacy! This time we are tackling legislation. What laws currently exist that guide literacy instruction? How do we implement in the classroom? As a literacy specialist, it’s my job to be aware of all of the different literacy requirements. I’ll share with you a look at what is required, and how we can make that happen in our school. One thing that’s important to remember is that we need to look at both federal and state legislation as both have a say in their students’ educational experience. Because I live and work in Minnesota, I’ll focus on Minnesota’s state legislation in this post.

Here we go!

Federal Legislation:

The current federal legislation is called Every Child Succeeds Act (ESSA), and was signed into law by President Obama in December of 2015. It replaced 2002’s No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Both acts had built on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965.

Here are some highlights of ESSA:

• Protects disadvantaged and high needs students.
• All students are held to high standards.
• Annual statewide assessments are administered to provide progress updates to families, schools, and communities.
• Commits to high quality preschool.
• Ensures that low performing schools have a plan in place for positive change.

ESSA gives freedom to the states to make many decisions for themselves such as the development of high quality standards.

Here is a pamphlet from the U.S. Department of Education that does a great job explaining the requirements of ESSA and how it affects parents: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/essa-flex.pdf While it is written for parents, the simple question and answer format provides a great summary of this act without getting bogged down in all the minute details (that’s my job!).

The big ideas to remember are that each state is responsible for developing high quality standards and having an assessment system in place for those standards. The assessment results will determine if a school qualifies for improvement funds and programs. All results are communicated with families and the community.

Minnesota State Legislation:

Now that we have looked at the federal legislation, let’s see how MInnesota has chosen to follow ESSA.

One of Minnesota’s big goals is that all students will be reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade. In order to reach this goal, students will be monitored, and students not making adequate progress will be identified for additional interventions. These interventions should be specific to their personal gaps. All of this information is also required to be communicated with their families.

Does this sound unrealistic to you? Working in a middle school, I know that we have students in our classrooms who are reading below grade-level. So what are we going to do about that? Well, one provision is that schools need a local literacy plan for how we are going to bridge the gap. We also need to make sure that we are providing ample professional development opportunities for our teachers so that we are well versed in the latest best practices in literacy. That’s where I come in! Teachers will receive training on the different literacy areas such as fluency and vocabulary. I’ll also train teachers on evidence-based intervention strategies that can be used in the classroom.

References

Minnesota Legislature. (2018). Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved from https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/120b.12

U.S. Department of Education, & DeVos, B. (2018, August). Understanding the Every Student Succeeds Act: A parent’s guide to the nation’s landmark education law. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/essa-flex.pdf

U.S. Department of Education. (2019). Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=policy

Welcome back, everybody! Today we’ll be looking at how data can be used by educators to inform teaching and learning. To help us understand this topic, we’ll be breaking it down into four separate questions:

1. How should data from assessments be used to inform teaching and learning?
2. How should data be shared with parents?
3. How should teachers use data to inform their teaching practices?
4. What does it look like when assessment is used effectively?

How should data from assessments be used to inform teaching and learning?

Data from assessments should have a direct impact on teaching. Teachers should be able to use the data from an assessment to see the strengths and weaknesses individual students had on the skills being assessed. This allows a teacher to make a more specialized learning experience for students. From the data, teachers can group students according to need and reteach the different skills to the students who need it. In general, this can be done using small, flexible groupings of students. With more specific attention paid to their individual needs, students should see improvements.

How should data be shared with parents?

Data with parents needs to be shared carefully. Educators have made great strides lately to welcome and include parents into their child’s educational choices. First and first most, when communicating data to parents, it’s important to remember that this is their child, the center of their world. We need to communicate more than just the data; instead, we are talking about a person.

It’s also important to remember that the education world comes with its own jargon. I think that it’s important to not only share the data, but also explain what the data means. Break down the academic vocabulary and acronyms so that parents can make an informed choice about their child’s academic experience.

How should teachers use data to inform their teaching practices?

One important point to make here is that data can be more than just numbers and test results. As teachers, we also collect qualitative data which could be observations and notes that we make. I like to think of most data as formative because it helps me form my next lesson. By looking at what my students do and do not know according to the data, I can adjust my teaching practices to better serve my students. Maybe that means I have to reteach a concept in a different way. Maybe instead of whole group lessons, I use learning stations. Maybe a struggling student needs to be put into an even smaller flexible group. A teacher should never look at the data and go, “well darn, I guess the kids just didn’t get it. Time to move on!”

What does it look like when assessment is used effectively?

An effective assessment is both reliable and valid. A reliable assessment means that we should expect consistent results according to the student’s true ability. There should not be a huge range in how they score from day-to-day (and if there is, that’s a good sign that something is going on with either your student or your assessment!). A valid assessment actually measures the skills it means to measure. In other words, if a student is being tested on science concepts, they shouldn’t lose points for spelling (because this isn’t a spelling test).

An effective assessment is also something that can be done quickly, but gives valuable, accurate feedback that can be used to inform teaching and learning (see above). We shouldn’t give an assessment just because we are at the end of the unit. An effective assessment actually assesses what we taught and hope the students learned. And as I have stated above, an assessment is not “the end.” Instead, an effective assessment guides our next steps in the classroom.

Conclusion

Wow! Again, a lot of information. But don’t worry, you can do this! The big thing to remember is that we are trying to help our students grow. Data shows us what our students need. From there, we can use our experience, best practices, colleagues, and literacy coach to help us figure out the best way to help our students. Data also lets us know if what we are trying is helpful, or if we need to change course and try something else. By keeping the students’ best interests as our goal, we can help them to grow.

References

Vogt, M., Shearer, B. A., & Vogt, M. (2019). Reading Specialists and Literacy Coaches in the Real World: Fourth Edition (4th ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.

Why are literacy leaders important in K-12 school settings?

Hi fellow educators! In today’s blog post, we’ll be talking all about the importance of literacy leaders in the K-12 school setting. Now, you may find yourself asking what exactly is a literacy leader? Do they help students? Teachers? The superintendent? Are they working on just reading, or is it something more? Relax! I’ll make sure to explain what a literacy leader is and what their responsibilities are before explaining just how important they are to our schools. Of course, but by that point, you may have figured it out already!

Let’s get started by figuring out what a literacy leader actually is. To begin with, this role has evolved over time, and has gone by many different titles such as literacy coach, reading coach or instructional coach. A literacy coach or reading coach works primarily with teachers; their focus is to improve reading and writing instruction. An instructional coach also works on literacy strategies, but more so as they are embedded within content. Essentially, all three titles are describing similar roles: an educator who helps other teachers become stronger literacy teachers.

There are many different ways for a literacy leader to provide support for teachers. One of the most visible jobs is to organize and lead professional development opportunities. This can be done in a variety of ways, depending on which coaching model the literacy leader chooses to incorporate. We’ll talk more about that later! The literacy leader is the head of the school’s literacy program, which means he or she is in charge of assessments, data, team building and implementation of new strategies. They also work hard to create a collaborative environment between all the adults who are helping kids with literacy.

Depending on the type of coaching model your school has chosen, your experience with a literacy leader could be very different from your friend’s experience at another school. In the most informal models, the literacy leader confers with teachers, provides materials, and acts as part of a group. As the models become more formal, the literacy leader will be leading professional development, modeling lessons, and observing and critiquing lessons. The literacy leader could even take on an administrator like role.

Whew! Sounds like quite a big job! And this is why having a literacy leader at your school is so important. As teachers, we have a variety of experiences and mindsets. Some have been teaching for years, some are brand new. Some are reluctant to change and others embrace change. A literacy leader helps to get more people on the same page. Not to mention, the literacy leader is also an expert at understanding and teaching literacy.

Teachers are BUSY; we have a lot on our plates just keeping our classrooms running. A literacy leader can research and find the best practices for literacy instruction. He or she can plan a professional development training where the what and why behind new practices are taught to teachers. The literacy leader can then follow up with teachers with discussions, conferences, modeled and observed lessons, and extra materials to make sure that classroom implementation is successful.

Imagine a school WITHOUT a literacy leader. Some teachers are shutting their classroom door and teaching how they’ve always taught. Some teachers are eager to try new ideas, but lack the time to truly understand and implement new strategies. And other teachers are burning themselves out to research and implement best literacy practices. Teachers are focused on all different parts of literacy. And some of these teachers are amazing! But now, imagine a school with a literacy leader. Teachers are invited to attend professional development trainings where best practices in literacy are taught, along with multiple suggestions for how to implement the strategy in the classroom. Every classroom will be using these same best practices. When a teacher needs extra help, the literacy leader is there to provide guidance through conferencing, modeling, and observing. This support starts with our kindergarten teachers and continues through the high school. All teachers are benefiting, which means all students are benefiting as well. Now ask yourself, which school would you want to teach at? Or more importantly, which school is better for students?

References

Vogt, M., Shearer, B. A., & Vogt, M. (2019). Reading Specialists and Literacy Coaches in the Real World: Fourth Edition (4th ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton