Turning Your Staff On To Reading First

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Turning Your Staff On To Reading First

• Presented by Julie Wadsworth, Literacy Coach
• Lisa Evitts, Reteacher,
• Romulus Community Schools

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Leveling The Playing Field

• Start the school year by identifying the
  strengths of each teacher
• Build upon the assets you already have

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Leading The Team

• Go out of your way to be available, even with the
  most resistant staff
• If you must comment on something that needs
  improvement, launch the conversation with
  something positive, even if it does not relate to
  Reading First
• Share as many positives at your grade level /
  staff meetings as possible.

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A Team That Plans Together Stays Together

• Provide opportunities for staff to visit other
  classrooms, especially outside your building
• Less intimidating and often very powerful
• Co-Plan together every six to eight weeks
• Use your office or another area where resources
  are easy to use and accessible
• Revisit your Action Plan TOGETHER at least every
  other month.
• If you are not making adequate progress, address
  the needs together
• Celebrate Together
• Good news should be celebrated
• Make a point to remember your staff during the
  holidays and or birthdays

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Building Commitment Through Action Plan Ownership

• At your very first meeting this fall, review last
  years Action Plan together.
• As a team discuss what went well, and what
  specifically needs to be addressed this year.
• Use your staff / grade level meeting to write
  your goals together
• Read the final draft together before having your
  staff sign it. REVISE if necessary!

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Outcome Based Coaching

• Have each teacher choose 2-3 specific goals that
  they would like to improve on this school year.
  (i.e. Reading comprehension strategies,
  differentiating instruction in small groups,
  etc,)
• Choose 3-4 teachers to work with intensely each
  for a set amount of time, perhaps 4-6 weeks
• Begin by meeting with your teacher prior to your
  emersion, use a coaching rubric to help your
  teacher identify their strengths and weaknesses
• Discuss what strategies have been used and the
  results.

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Outcome Based Coaching cont.

• Set up a schedule to implement change
• Schedule should include a time to do the
  following
• Pretest / Sampling of student work
• A set time to observe, meet, model 1-2 sessions,
  assist in classroom 2-3 sessions, meet, final
  observation and posttest
• Pre / Post assessment pieces are critical! These
  demonstrate the value of the coach and the work
  that you are doing!
• handout

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Outcome Based Coaching Tool - Sample
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Keeping Your Coaching Schedule Real!

• Survey your teachers to determine what works best
  for them, especially grade level meetings!
• BE FLEXIBLE!
• Try to update your staff with changes via email
  or a bi-weekly email.
• When unexpected changes occur, notify your
  teachers, give as much notice as possible!
• Keep your calendar posted on your door, as well
  as your coaching schedule

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LITERACY COACH SCHEDULE 3rd Quarter 2007
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Staff Updates

• Consider doing a weekly or bi-weekly newsletter
  to share all kinds of information
• Professional development opportunities
• Registration reminders for conferences
• Sharing classroom highlights
• Sharing new research or information acquired in
  training
• Celebrating student achievement
• Providing staff with a current calendar of
  upcoming events / days out of the building
• Handout

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Sample Newsletters
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Meaningful Small Group Instruction

• When students are working in small groups /
  centers they should be able to explain the
  purpose of the activity and the procedure for
  using it.
• Consider having teachers make center activity
  charts that will identify the activities and
  goals at a glance. This also increases teacher
  accountability in a non-threatening manner
• Go over DIBELS scores in the least threatening
  environment
• Try to schedule co-planning sessions

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2nd Grade Center Activities and Goals
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Reteachers

• Who? Highly qualified teachers that work directly
  with the classroom teachers offering quality
  instruction and interventions
• When? During the Reading block and providing
  interventions after the block
• How?
• Co-plan during monthly meetings with the teachers
• Attached to specific groups and teachers
• Review data and plan interventions
• Attend staff development

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Good Coaches

• Set the stage for success
• Are open-minded
• Never ask others to do something that you
  yourself would not be willing to do
• Encourage and build on the strengths of their
  staff
• Go above and beyond to help their staff
• Plan for effective instruction and grade level
  meetings
• Constantly review shortcomings and try, try again