Literacy Coaches Training Day 2

1
Literacy Coaches Training Day 2

• Cathy Toll, Ph.D.
• Literacy Director
• June 2004

2
Agenda Day 2

• Review Agenda Reflect on Day 1
• Survey of Strengths
• Formats for Coaching
• Getting Started
• Communication Strategies
• Dealing With Difficult Teachers
• Yeah, Buts
• Wrap Up

3
Formats for Coaching

• 11 conferences
• Team meetings
• Demonstration teaching
• Large-group meetings and workshops
• Study groups
• Providing articles and resources
• Courses

4
Getting Started

• Meet principal, staff, students, and parents.
• Set coaching priorities. Discuss What kinds of
  data would help you do this?
• Plan to assess your work.

5
Communication Strategies for Coaches

• Listening
• Silence
• Hmmm
• Say some more about that
• What do you think?
• I dont knowlets find out.

6
Silence

• Teacher I just dont know what to do with Justin
  and Marissa. They are both reading much more
  difficult material than their classmates, and I
  dont see anything they need from me!
• (Coach waits in silence.)
• Teacher I feel so useless!
• Words to Value (continued)

7
Silence (continued)

• Teacher What can I do about kids who dont want
  to revise their writing?
• (Coach waits in silence.)
• Teacher Ive tried using peer revision, but that
  doesnt work. Ive also tried conferencing with
  each child, but I cant find the time!

8
Hmmm

• Teacher I cant fit all the pieces of the
  reading workshop into my day.
• Coach Hmmm (voice rising)
• OR
• Teacher I cant fit all the pieces of the
  reading workshop into my day.
• Coach Hmmm (voice lowering)

9
Say Some More About That

• Teacher The kids writing is so poor. I just
  dont know what to do.
• Coach Have you tried using the rubric that the
  district language arts department has developed?
• Teacher Yes, but there is so much on the rubric.
  I can only focus on a little at a time, and I
  still have so many concerns with the writing I
  get from the kids.
• Coach Lets talk about how you introduce the
  elements of the rubric to your students, in your
  mini-lessons

10
Say Some More About That (continued)

• Teacher The kids writing is so poor. I just
  dont know what to do.
• Coach Say some more about that.
• Teacher Well, weve been writing persuasive
  essays, and the kids get the idea that they are
  supposed to give reasons to support their claims.
• Coach Um-hmmm.
• Teacher But the writing I get is so hard to
  read! I cant tell what the children are trying
  to say.
• Coach Say some more, please.
• Teacher Well, some of the kids are still using
  invented spelling, and others are just, well,
  they dont think spelling is important

11
What Do You Think?

• Teacher Olivia has been reading nothing but
  books in the Boxcar Children series. I think its
  been weeks since she has chosen anything else to
  read during workshop time. Im not sure if I
  should let her continue or tell her she has to
  read something else.
• Coach What do you think?
• Teacher Well, Olivias running records and
  retellings show that shes getting good practice
  in using strategies when she reads those books.
• (pause)

12
What Do You Think?

• Teacher But I would like to expose her to some
  other authors and genres.
• Coach What could you do?
• Teacher Well, maybe Ill show her my conference
  notes about how well shes doing, so she knows
  shes not doing anything wrong. And maybe Ill
  show her a couple of other book seriesI know
  thats part of why she likes The Boxcar Children,
  because its a seriesand invite her to read one,
  but not force her.

13
I Dont KnowLets Find Out

• Teaching is problem solving.

14
Dealing With Difficult Teachers

• Poor goals/direction
• No goals/direction
• Resistance

15
Characteristics of an Effective Coach

• Listening
• Trusting
• Responding
• Learning

16
Cathy Toll, Ph.D. P 630.649.6624 gt F
630.649.6710 E-Mail cathy.toll_at_learningpt.org
17
P 630.649.6500 gt F 630.649.6700 800.356.2735 gt
www.learningpt.org 1120 East Diehl Road, Suite
200 Naperville, IL 60563