March 15, 2016: Chapter 9

Summary and Thoughts / Connections for Chapter 9:  

A Schoolwide Approach for Reading Excellence
- The school exhibits a "sense of urgency" about working toward schoolwide literacy. Teachers understand their role and are supported in their efforts. 
- A strong instructional leader (principal or coach) has clear goals for schoolwide literacy; everyone knows about the goals and there is an organized effort.
- Teachers meet regularly to look at the results of assessments of student progress. 
- Teachers and administrators receive the professional development and support they need to be able to meet the needs of their students. [In one school, teachers develop personal goals at the beginning of each semester and are given a choice of three formats of professional development activities to help them meet their goals. -Awesome! How is it paid for?]
- Teachers are given adequate time to plan and collaborate for effective reading instruction. [Like our PLC time on Wednesday mornings for 45 minutes? Or something more?]
- Decisions in the school are made based on the likelihood that academic excellence will be enhanced. Priority is given to hiring or keeping reading intervention teachers and to purchasing books and materials for the reading program. 
- Results of statewide tests are used to evaluate the reading program as a whole rather than individual teachers. 
- Intervention is provided to all students who need it. [Does this mean that students are placed into a corrective reading class or are the interventions happening in the regular classroom?]
- Reading instruction and intervention are given priority when schedules are developed.
- Possibly: the classroom or homeroom teacher is the coordinator of the services and has the primary responsibility for the student. [I would worry about the kids who have an elective teacher for their homeroom teacher. I feel like many (not all!) of these teachers do not understand what it takes to improve literacy, do not follow up with students, or know how to work with students effectively with reading.]
- Teachers, administrators, and other professionals in the schools adopt a no-excuses attitude with high expectations for all students. [But how do you make kids work, who simply do not want to?]
- Parents are seen as important participants. [But how do you get parents involved if they're not interested?]

The Reading Coach as a Facilitator
- Along with a reading coach's tasks of Collaborative Problem Solver and Teacher/Learner, the coach is also a Facilitator. They are there to help make a process easier or less difficult. The goal is to help bring down the barriers to change and to provide opportunities and encouragement for professional educators to work together with a sense of shared responsibility. 
Revisiting SAILS
- "The reading coach focuses efforts of teachers and other school professionals to (1) support every student's progress towards standards; (2) use assessments to find out what students need; (3) plan instruction to address students' needs and monitor progress; and (4) develop expertise in designing and delivering instruction and intervention to meet the needs of all students. 
- At the same time, the coach makes it easier (facilitates) for the school to adopt a committed attitude toward excellence in reading instruction."
- It is a fine art of both supporting teachers and 'nudging' teachers. "Balancing on a fine, thin line between supporting the status quo and placing too much stress on teachers." Administrators may feel that a person is a strong coach  who had both the people skills to work effectively with teacher and the backbone to stand up to those who were resistant to adopting effective practices or who tried to manipulate the coaches.
Collaborative Planning
- In a few schools that were studied, teachers had joint planning sessions that included discussions of the curriculum standards and expectations for their students. They met at the beginning of each semester or grading period or before beginning a unit of instruction. Teachers focused on clarifying the critical concepts and skills that all students were expected to master, selecting materials to use in the instruction, and identifying accommodations and adaptations needed for students. 
Collaborative Teaching
There are six basic approaches to co-teaching. [I wish I would've known this when I started teaching!]
1: One teacher provides the primary instruction to the class while another circulates among students, monitoring and helping them as needed. The teachers change roles frequently.
2: Teachers instruct students at different stations set up around the room. 
3: Two teachers plan a lesson together, divide the class in half, and each teach the same lesson to half the class, sometimes using different instructional strategies.
4: Teachers in the same classroom provide instruction to students in small, flexible groups based on their assessment results and the need for re-teaching.
5: One teacher teaches the class while another provides instruction or re-teaching to small groups who need more support. The teachers change roles.
6: Two teachers instruct the whole class together - they take turns leading different activities or topics. 
- Research on the effectiveness of co-teaching is limited, and merely participating in co-teaching does not ensure good student outcomes. 

When teachers were given formally scheduled time for regular collaboration, most teachers often used the time to plan together for a particular lesson or unit, or problem-solve a student's progress. When teachers tried to meet informally, it led to many teachers to stop trying to collaborate. However, just providing time for collaboration does not meant teachers will collaborate. 

Principals may have a difficult time balancing how to reach their (assessment) goals, while trying to get staff to participate. For instance, a principal may not involve teachers in any decision-making processes and then feel resistance among staff. Some principals may have the same goal, but see their role as supporting their faculties with necessary resources rather than controlling teacher behavior. In some schools, someone other than the principal had an important role in building a collaborative community -this person would need the administration's support to show that everyone was on the same team. 

"Two elements of a collaborative culture in schools were of trust and having a shared set of expectations for all students. For teachers to form a collaborative community, they must have a feeling of trust and comfort with their peers. If teachers feel that they will be criticized because of their practices or suggestions, or if they think that other teachers will gossip about them, they are unlikely to be able to share ideas openly. A collaborative school is one where the doors of the classrooms are open and teachers are respectful of each other." --honestly, how realistic is this?

One high school teacher said, "We don't care what category they're in [or what label they have]. We don't excuse them from succeeding." --This is a great mentality to have. But again, how do you make kids work, read, study, turn in work, etc. if they won't want to and parents aren't supportive?

Key to making lasting changes is ongoing mentoring and support of classroom teachers. Above all, teachers are more likely to adopt an attitude of ownership if they get enough training and support to develop a real mastery of new practices. 
-A good facilitator not only helps individual teachers implement the program successfully but is also able to deal with problems and overcome obstacles that come up along the way. 

Steps for Supporting Schoolwide Commitment and Participation
1) Have a plan. There must be a long-term plan with funding that is linked directly to the expectation that student reading outcomes will improve. This plan should allow for three to five years of growth. [Is this growth for one grade level, or for a group of students? For instance, if my husband teaches a group of 8th graders for one year, is he expected to increase the next year's 8th graders scores to be higher than the previous years' kids? Or is just that group of kids he currently has, supposed to have increased scores over their three to five years?]
2) Get everyone involved -including counselors, librarians, etc. 
3) Align standards, curriculum, textbooks, instructional programs, and assessments. 
4) Organize your time. 
5) Use the expertise of colleagues, mentors, and outside experts. 

March 8th, 2016: Chapter 8

Summary and Thoughts / Connections for Chapter 8:  

Professional Development is Teaching 

- Teaching teachers is like teaching students: asses the needs of the teachers in the school by observations, meeting with them, questionnaires, or more formal assessment procedures. (A pattern among the staff may emerge!)

- Researchers have recommended that teams of teachers work together to examine the results of student assessments, reflect on their own teaching, discuss their experiences and perspectives, and collaboratively seek solutions to common problems. (But who would these teams consist of? Multidisciplinary teams? A grade-level team? Something else?)

- With researchers, a teachers brainstormed a list of topics they wanted to focus on in future meetings. In the next meeting, the teachers were given the list, and asked to rank the topics according to their needs. Future meeting addressed these topics. (This was done in multiple schools, and the same list of topics arose in each one. BUT, this allowed for teachers to have a voice in their professional development.)

- Like students, working with teachers in different grouping formats may yield more success. Groups could be made up of: similar needs, grade level, individuals with a partner, modeling effective instructional strategies, etc. 

- People are usually motivated to learn new concepts and skills that are practical and relevant to their situations. 

- "Some teachers who had participated in a yearlong professional development program focused on reading-related interventions were still implementing the strategies they had learned three years later... possible for them to incorporate the strategies due to having the researchers demonstrate the strategies in the teachers' own classrooms." -Impressive! (Teachers could also observe other teachers in their building, and maybe have a coach attend with them.) 

- Teachers need to have patience for a new instructional strategy to work. It takes a lot of practice to integrate it into a regular teaching routine. It may take 25 teaching episodes before it's likely to continue to use it. 

- Teachers need time to reflect, receive feedback, and support as they apply what they have learned into their classroom.

- It's less important that teachers receive feedback on how well they are executing a teaching strategy than on the quality of instructional decisions they make as they integrate the strategy in different situations in pursuit of specific goals. It's also important that they learn when to apply them and how to modify them in response to the needs of their students. 

Different from teaching students
- Adult learners come to the table with knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences. They also are independent and motivated by their personal needs and goals. 
- Maslow's Hierarchy applies to adults as much as students. Quite literally this means to begin with making sure the adults are comfortable in the room. (Temperature, chairs, not hungry, etc.) Feeling safe is also important - this includes physical and emotional safety.  
- "Teachers' initial attitude toward a particular program is not as important as their judgement of its effects on their students." 

Characteristics of Adult Change and Growth
- "School change should take place according to a long-range vision that may include three to five years of work, with student outcomes showing greater growth each year." 
  1) Don't try to change too much too soon "think big, but start small". Find a happy medium of sustained effort over time, but not large changes that require sustained effort over time.
  2) Changes must be realistic: concrete, practical, manageable, and not overly demanding of time.
  3) Effective change takes place at the individual and school levels. More likely to see staff on board if they feel that other teachers and administration are on board.
  4) Self-Reflection and self-evaluation are important. Teachers begin with evaluation of student assessment data. 

Elements of Effective Professional Development
- Understand the theory and rationale for the new content and instruction: teachers need to understand the change in their teaching, the relevance of the new content and the likelihood that the change will result in increased student success. 
- Observe a model in action. 
- Practice the new strategy in a safe context.
- Try out the new practice with peer support in the classroom.
- Workshops:
   *Establish a purpose for the session and give teachers the "big picture". 
   * Provide modeling and demonstration of instructional strategies.
   * Be sure to plan for active involvement.
   * Encourage self-reflection and help teachers become problem solvers.
- Study Groups
   *Contain no more than six teachers.
   * Keep a regular schedule and rotate the job of group leader. 
   * Groups should not be voluntary - because the improvement of student outcomes is not optional. 
   * All certified staff, including administrators, are expected to participate in study groups. 
- In-class coaching and modeling: model instruction, and provide observation and feedback. 
- Discussing Assessment Results: If teachers see that their efforts are resulting in their students becoming better readers, they are much more likely to continue to implement new ideas in their classrooms. 
- Co-planning
- Co-teaching: where one teacher provides instruction while the other circulates, monitoring and supporting students, with the two teachers trading roles at different points. The coach can do this, but it should NOT be adopted as a permanent strategy -the coach has many more teachers and students to work with.
- Peer coaching: observe each other, model for teach other, and provide feedback and support to each other. Practical, emotional, and reflective support.
   * Providing feedback could compromise a collaborative relationship, and is not always recommended. At least one of the teachers needs to be proficient in the instructional strategies being presented. 
   * If a teacher wants feedback, they should inform the observer of what they should look for int he lesson and identify specific areas where feedback is desired. Using a form will help them summarize their reflections. 
- Unified approach: "Just having teachers meet regularly doesn't mean they will automatically make changes in their classroom. The key is to have a clear link between professional development group activities and individual coaching." 

Tables 8.1 and 8.2 have suggested professional development activities based on characteristics or components that are desired to be addressed.

"A central role of the reading coach is to plan and help deliver effective professional development with the goal of improving the quality of reading instruction in a school." 

Choice Article: 

Differentiated Coaching: Fostering Reflection with Teachers

Katie Stover, Brian Kissel, Karen Haag, Rebecca Shoniker

DOI: 10.1598/RT.64.7.3.

Brief Highlights of the Article and connections/thoughts:

- Effective professional development includes ongoing modeling, practice, feedback, and reflection over time. In a typical coaching model, literacy coaches and teacher engage in a cycle of demonstration, observation, and reflection. [<--Yes! just like the text suggests!]

- Change occurs when teachers observe their own teaching practices. This turns to coaching conversations and teachers' reflections on their beliefs and attitudes. 

- Top-down professional development leaves something to be desired for teachers. 

- "Successful professional development is reflective, collaborative, and acknowledges the specific needs and interests of teachers."

- "Learning happens within teachers, not to them." -Just like students! Learning should be differentiated to provide multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and sharing the information learned.

"Kid-watching" is one way coaches can help teachers and reflect on their teaching. [This is explained quite similarly to the SPS model the text discusses.]

-By asking questions and offering observational feedback, the literacy coach leads the teacher toward self-discovery and actualization as a practitioner. 

Writing

- One coach worked with an already effective teacher; therefore they decided to have the teacher reflect on her teaching. 

"First, she summarized an event that happened int he classroom. Next,  she thoughtfully reflected on how she made an impact on this event. After acknowledging her influence, she made a list of questions that she used as a guide to push her thinking about pedagogy. Finally, she made a note of different topics she could pursue further with her literacy coach." 

Using surveys to develop differentiated staff development

- The staff of an entire school made a list of non-negotiables. From there, the coach created a survey to determine the literacy strengths and needs of each teacher. 

- The first survey asked teachers to rate themselves on a scale of 1-5 regarding their understanding and use of the various components of their literacy instruction. (Figure 1 in text.)

- Using Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, the coach determined the areas where a majority of teachers had some background knowledge, but were ready to learn more. (Ratings of 1-3 on the survey.) 

"The first survey gave overall information about teachers' knowledge of various literacy topics. To better grasp individual interest and needs, the coach developed a plan for differentiated staff development. To do this, she created a second survey that reflected the responses she collected in the original survey. She asked teachers to rank the topics they felt would best meet their professional needs."

- All of the topics (20 of them) were addressed throughout the school year. Teachers were only required to attend five sessions based on their classroom practices and experiences. [Definitely not a one-size-fits-all approach!]

Videotapes

- For baseline data, each teacher taught a small group for 30 minutes in his or her classroom while the camera rolled. The coach also kept a script-tape for later reflection. The coach and teacher then met for 30 minutes to discuss what went well and what needed work to help the teacher. 

- The coaches suggestions for viewing: 

   1. Watch the lesson once.

   2. Review the script tape and notes of the teacher-coach discussion.

   3. Watch the tape again and map each students' involvement, analyze the questions asked, and observe body language, depth of conversation, and use of reading strategies. 

   4. Meet with colleagues to discuss that initial assessment.

   5. Reflect in writing before meting with the coach again. (These reflections guided the issues problem-solved in the second conference.) 

-The coach might demonstrate and debrief, might observe and give feedback, or might help the teacher analyze data and re-form student groups. 

- Each session ended with agreement on small steps for the teacher to try before the next meeting. 

- The year ended with the second video taping. Most interesting, the fall goals seemed quite insignificant come spring! 

Final quote: 

"Teachers who have worked with coaches have improved their teaching practices by incorporating more high-level thinking questions, encouraging active engagement from students, and increasing their ability to differentiate and adapt instructional material and sills. 

March 8th, 2016: Chapter 7

Summary and Thoughts / Connections for Chapter 7:  

Setting Goals

- Set 2-4 goals that are directly linked to the problem. These should be attainable, given resources that are available: time, money, people, and the planned length of the intervention. 

- All goals should be measureable. If the goal is to improve a better attitude or show more confidence, the goal should focus on an observable change. 

- The coach will likely have to guide the teacher toward developing a more concrete, measureable, goal. 

- It is possible that the coach may have goals for the teacher: be more patient with students, increase a skill level, etc. Obviously, this isn't something you'd want to openly discuss with a teacher unless the teacher has expressed interest in them. 

- All goals should be evaluated to see to what degree they were reached. Evaluations can be formative or summative.

Developing an Intervention Plan

- A consistent and skillful implementation of one or more possible strategies will probably lead to improvement, as long as the strategy is supported by evidence of effectiveness and is linked logically to the targeted problem and goals. 

- You MUST work with the teacher to develop the plan! It must be something that can, and will be implemented in the classroom. For success: 

   *The teacher believes that the intervention will be effective.

   * The intervention does not require lots of time or material resources.

   * There is a match between the theoretical underpinnings of an intervention plan and the teacher's philosophies and beliefs.

   * The intrusiveness of the intervention on the normal classroom routines and schedules is minimal.

   * The teacher has a sense of control of the situation.

- Ask the teacher for any ideas they may have for helping the target student reach the goals. It's okay for the coach to list some as well, but if it comes from the teacher, it will probably be more likely implemented. (Consider listing one or or two possible strategies.)

- Keep in mind that as a coach you are a resource for effective ideas and strategies, not the problem solver of the perfect solution. 

- Only work within your skill set and expertise. It's completely okay to turn to other experts who may have different and/or specialized knowledge and skills that are different from yours. 

- Each intervention strategy generated with the teacher must be evaluated. Each strategy should:

   *Match the problem definition and specific goals.

   * Be appropriate for the situation (match the age/skill/level/needs of the student)

   * Be feasible (match with the demands of the context and the available resources)

   * Be aligned with the philosophies and beliefs of the teacher.

   * Be minimally disruptive to the normal routines of the classroom.

   * Have evidence of effectiveness. 

- A teacher may say that they've already tried the strategies and they didn't work. However, it's possible that the teacher did not use them consistently or accurately, or for a long enough time. 

- The teacher can come up with some strategies to implement; most importantly, the teacher has to believe that the plan can work and that s/he can use the strategies effectively. 

Developing the Plan of Action

- The plan must be specific about how the intervention will be carried out: who will do what to implement each strategy; how these actions will be taken; and when, or how often, or for how long. Parents and student should be notified about the plan.

- Some strategies may require the coach to model a demonstration to the teacher, or for the teacher to attend a workshop or in-service. 

- Summarize the target problem, defined goals, the plan for collecting the evaluation data, and then reviewing the written plan of action. Present this finalized plan with a balance of optimism and realism. "A significant period of time and sustained effort will probably be required before you can see improvement in a student's reading skills." 

Providing Support to the Teacher

- Even the most carefully developed and well-designed intervention plans (viewed by enthusiastic teachers) may not be implemented successfully. Maybe the teacher did not understand sufficiently how to do part of the intervention or did not have the skills or resources. Some teachers may get discouraged and stop prematurely or modify the intervention ... but rarely are there instant and positive changes in students' problems when an intervention is first implemented. 

- It's wise to periodically check-in with a teacher to offer help, advice, guidance, and encouragement. Also, check in with the teacher the day or a few days before the intervention starts - that way you know they are confident and aware of what they need to do when it does start. 

- The frequency and intensity should match the complexity of the teacher in implementing interventions. 

Evaluating Outcomes

- Make sure data is being collected. (Formatively or summatively.) 

- Determine if the intervention plan should be continued as is, modified, or phased out. Be sure to work with the teacher.

- If new ideas or approaches should be considered, just go back to Phase 2 and look at the original list of possibly strategies -don't start the SPS model all over. 

- Perhaps the goal needs to be reevaluated, not the intervention plan. 

Remember: You are NOT a miracle worker, or a magician! :)

March 1st, 2016: Chapter 6

Summary and Thoughts / Connections for Chapter 6:  

Gathering information through Interviews
- It is good to have face-to-face meetings with different people to gather various perspectives -interview teachers, parents, and students.
Initial Teacher Interview
- First meeting with the student's reading teacher can reveal details about the nature of the difficulties  the student is having and the times and situations problems occur. It can also help give you a teacher's perspective on the student's reading difficulties. 
- Don't allow the interview to drift off course and become friendly chat, etc. Establish and maintain a professional problem-solving relationship. Skillfully redirect the teacher's responses and refocus on the reading difficulties if necessary.
- Keep in mind the teacher's time: only spend as much time as necessary gathering information.
- Maintain structure and open-ended questions. 
- Keep in mind that the teacher's responses are their beliefs, that may or may not be supported by information gathered. 
- End the initial teacher interview with a summary [like phases 1&2 in the SPS model from chapter five].
Interviews with the Parent
- Be cognisant of how you are interacting with a parent. Avoid professional language that parents may not know, or find threatening. 
- Keep in mind parents who have a different language or culture than you. 
- Some questions you could ask, include:
  *Vision or hearing problems that might affect his reading? Physical difficulties or medical conditions?
  * Problems with reading at home? Trouble when doing homework?
  * How long have you noticed these problems? Has it just started this year, or for has he struggled for quite awhile?
  *What sort of things does he say about reading at school. 
Interviewing Students
- Just ask the student! Keep a structured interview. They will likely provide you with insight into their attitudes toward reading, feelings of confidence in ability, and when they have the most trouble. [Sometimes the obvious thing to do is over looked. Simply talking to the student who is having trouble reading seems so simple to do, and yet is probably often overlooked.]
Gathering Information Through Assessments
- Phonemic Awareness: students who are having a very difficult time reading words presented to them in lists should be assessed to determine whether they have difficulty with phonemic awareness.
- Phonics and Decoding: Many classroom teachers will complain about comprehension problems, but the issue is probably decoding. If a student can't read the words, they aren't going to be able to comprehend the text.
- Oral Reading Fluency: A struggling reader's oral reading fluency is: slow, labored, choppy, and/or monotone. They may skip words they don't know. Before thinking a student has a fluency problem look into their decoding or phonics knowledge. DIBELS is good to use for testing oral reading fluency. Reading Fluency Benchmark Assessor and the Reading Progress Monitor  are also tools for benchmark screening and progress monitoring. 
- Reading Comprehension: Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) is a great tool for a teacher or coach to use to assess a student's reading comprehension. You could also use the IRI to determine fluency. 
- Sequence of Assessment: Start with an IRI if the student is able to read simple text. If they are below grade level, the assessment QPS could be used to look into phonics/decoding issues. If the student has severe decoding problems, follow this with a test on phonemic awareness.
Gathering Information Through Observations
A reading difficulty is likely not just the student's fault, there are many things that play a part in one's ability to read. 
- Observing the Student in the Classroom: Conduct a functional (ABC) observation that tracks what happens before (antecedent) a behavior and after (consequence) the behavior. If you want insight into the student's off-task behavior, record the amount of time the student is on- or off-task during different instructional formats. 
- Follow a basic plan to prepare for a classroom observation: (1) Select and observation format. ASOS-R could be used. (2) Review the directions for conducting the observation you select. (3) Decide how many times, and for how long you will observe. (4) Schedule a time. (5) Prepare the teacher for what you will be doing. (6) Assemble your materials. (7) When you enter the classroom for the observation, find a place to sit where you are as unobtrusive as possible, but can see both the teacher and target student. 
- Observing Student-Teacher Interactions: ABC Observation. The primary goal as a reading coach is to help improve students' reading outcomes, not to help the teachers handle problems. Some students may try to get out of reading by acting out in class - because that gets them sent away and therefore away from the reading they would have to attempt, and potentially be embarrassed about. 
- Observing Active Student Engagement in Different Instructional Formats: This strategy help you determine whether problems are limited to the target student or are prevalent int he classroom as a whole and possibly due to the teacher's instructional or classroom management difficulties. [In all honesty, I think this would be hard for me to be tactful about. No teacher wants to hear that they lack classroom management or their instruction isn't engaging. How can you do this tactfully, especially if you don't have a classroom of your own?]
- Observing Reading Instruction: Most instruction will probably be effective for most students in a classroom, but some students will need more intense, supplemental instruction based on the same principles and delivered in small groups in addition to regular classroom reading instruction. Page 58 has a list of beneficial instruction qualities. 
- Three Useful Tools for Observing the Teacher: LIFT (Literacy Instruction Feedback Template), SS-TS (Student Success - Teacher Strategy Observation) and SCIE (Scale for Coaching Instruction Effectiveness). 
  *LIFT: a brief observation form that is directed specifically at the implementation of explicit instruction. You can record observations of the teacher's instructional strategies and the students' responses.
  *SS-TS: this places more emphasis on the interaction between student and teacher behaviors. 
  *SCIE: designed to enable peer coaches to provide feedback to teachers on specific components of instruction. After the coach has observed a 20 minute lesson, they can have a debriefing with the teacher rating the 51 items on the SCIE. The teacher can decide to set a goal(s) for instructional improvement. The coach continues to work with the teacher to provide support for achieving these goals. This is considered an advanced coaching tool. While this follows a similar approach an administrator does, it does NOT make any kind of evaluative decisions that would influence hiring, retention, or promotion. 
- Observing Interactions Among the Teacher, Instruction, Materials, and Student: The physical environment includes such things as lighting, noise, distractions, temperature, comfort of the student, arrangement of the seating, and general layout. Instructional environment includes: access to and adequacy of materials, instructional methods, expectations and demands, modifications, grouping, and scheduling. The social environment includes: the interaction between teacher and student, the way the teacher handles behavior management, peer interactions, and the general atmosphere of the classroom climate. Page 59 has a list of questions you could ask/answer about a classroom. 
- Providing Feedback to Teachers After Observations: Make sure that the teacher understands that your purpose of observing was to collect information that might support you and the teacher as you work together to help the student succeed. Make sure this was a 'typical' day, if not, schedule another observation. Try to link things you noticed the student doing, to strategies the teacher was using at the time. "Your main emphasis should be on the learning environment-access to appropriate and high-quality materials including text on the student's instructional reading level, instructional methods, especially active student involvement and the elements of explicit instruction, ambitious but realistic expectations and demands, and the effective use of grouping and scheduling. Be sure to provide at least three positive points of feedback. 
- An Alternative Approach to Observation and Feedback: co-planning, observe each other teaching, and discuss both lessons afterward. The coach has the opportunity to model three key dimensions of teaching -planning research-based reading instruction based on assessment results; providing effective, explicit, targeted instruction; and reflecting on one's own teaching afterward. 

Choice Article: 

Literacy Learning Through Team Coaching

The Reading Teacher Vol. 67 Issue 4 

DOI: 10.1002/TRTR.1219

Brief Highlights of the Article and connections/thoughts:

I chose to read this article in hopes of it connecting to the content of the chapters I've previously read in the textbook. It had some similar ideas, but definitely not the same. The main idea behind this type of coaching is to focus on and improve teachers. (Unlike our text, which focuses on students.)

The way this coaching model is set up is, a team of teachers (typically all teachers who teach fourth grade, for example) get together with a coach. They follow the CCCM (Community Coaching Cohort Model). They complete a reflective thinking exercise with the coach to help select an inquiry topic in literacy which is based on the needs of their students. The team researches and develops lessons addressing the topic. In the second phase, the team of teachers observes the coach teaching the lesson in one of the teacher's classrooms. After the observation, there is a debriefing and teachers reflect on their learning, then choose another inquiry topic in the area of literacy to research and discuss. In phase three, the grade-level team develops more lessons on the new topic, and observe the coach demonstrating the second set of lessons in another teacher's classroom from the grade-level team. 

-In this model, there is also time for individual coaching to take place. 

- The article suggests that coaching emerged in education to improve teacher instruction and student learning. One reason is the need to increase teachers' knowledge base, and the gap between best practices in literacy and common practices in the classroom. [Couldn't this be remedied in teacher education classes? Or is this more due to the change in technology?] 

- Many teachers find working with a coach to be admitting defeat, or that they are ineffective educators. This could be because some schools will bill/hire outside coaches to come into their building to conduct professional development with their staff. This could also include having the staff sit and listen to one presenter give information for an hour or so, with no hands-on application or practice. 

It is suggested that this model works because it is: 

  - ongoing" it is a nine week cycle, not just a 45-60 minute presentation at an inservice meeting. 

  - job-embedded: it takes place on-site with your own students, with a collaborative team in your building. 

  - collaborative: teachers are working with one another and a coach. The coach isn't taking charge, the teachers are.

  - reflective: there are continual opportunities for teachers to take ownership for their learning by reflecting on their students, their own learning goals, and how the cohort is addressing their needs. 

  - inquiry-based: each cohort will consist of different participants, which allows for each group to self-direct their learning/focus. 

This model is appreciated by staff because they are observing a live, non-prerecorded lesson with students they know. 

Coaches need to:

- use a clearly defined coaching model with established roles 

- be knowledgeable and qualified 

- initiating and maintaining a neutral, supportive coaching stance

Some of these qualities is similar to those listed in our textbook, but the purpose of the coach is definitely different in each text. 

February 23, 2016: Chapter 5

Summary and Thoughts / Connections for Chapter 5:  

Chapter Topic: "Systematic Problem Solving (SPS) involves moving from problem to solution using a traditional four-phase process: (1) problem identification and verification; (2) problem formulation and intervention development; (3) intervention implementation; and (4) evaluation." 

- Whether as a reading coach, or ELL Specialist, teachers assume that you will simply listen to their description of problems and then immediately provide a "prescription" of solution for solving them. [Is this because we are trained that we can do this at a doctor's office? At least once a week I have a teacher(s) email, message, or talk to me in person about a student or situation and want one quick fix-all answer. There isn't one, and until they understand that, they will continue to walk away disappointed. I do what I can at the moment, but it takes time to pinpoint the exact issue and know how to remedy it.
- Sometimes, it may be a good idea to not share the SPS model with the teacher, but for the coach to just use it as a framework for problem solving.

Phase 1: Problem Solving
- Get the facts - gather data from observations or assessments. NOT by word of mouth. [I had a student, during my first year of teaching, who teachers were not concerned about because he did his homework, didn't have behavior issues, answered questions, etc. When I pulled up his test grades -from their classes, they were all failing. When we looked at his state and district assessments, they were incredibly low. I found out that the teachers took it upon themselves to provide modified tests, projects, assignments, and accommodations -such as reading the test out loud with a para, even though I had never instructed them to do so. We stopped providing these supports and the student quickly struggled. We were able to identify what he needed help with, and provide the correct services.]
- Relevant: current, historical, and contextual information - Ask specific questions when talking to a teacher. (Is the student's reading challenge currently getting worse? Better? Is it pretty stable?. What interventions have you tried? Have the student's parents been involved? Have other teachers been involved?) Also, pay attention to how the teacher is communicating information to you. Body language, choice of words, hesitations, etc. can help through this first phase. This also helps you gather information about the teacher's tolerances, philosophy, background, skills, and style. Use your "coaching antenna". 
- Not one size fits all - what works for one teacher will not necessarily work for another teacher. It all depends on the person's philosophy, classroom organization, specific knowledge, training, resources, skills, and experience that the teacher has or is lacking. 
- Veteran versus novice. Veteran problem solvers know there is never "The Solution" for any problem. Although one goal of coaching is always to solve the referred problem, achieving this goal is not the problem solver's responsibility alone; it is a shared responsibility and collaborative effort. Sometimes the problem that was initially described, ultimately may not even end up being the targeted concern. 
- A coach needs two brains:
Brain 1: Have a clear picture of the presenter's interpretation/perception of the concern, regardless of its accuracy, take note of subtle cues to things like the teacher's belief systems, tolerances, and philosophy. (Listen Intently!: Use the SOLAR position, reflect feelings, paraphrase content, ask questions to clarify, check perceptions, seek elaboration, summarize at transitions, avoid jargon and unnecessary interruptions.)
Brain 2: Maintain a stance of the ultimate skeptic and remain thoroughly unconvinced of the presented information. Teachers may be so caught up with the situation and emotionally involved/frustrated, that they lost their perspective of the facts. 
- Hidden Agendas - You may find a teacher is carefully editing the information being shared to you. They may feel a student has been inappropriately placed in their classroom (and should be in SpEd or other alternate placement). What this teacher wants is to have the student removed, but is reluctant to say this to you directly. [I can think of at least one teacher who feels this way about a lot of students, unfortunately.] 
- The coach should be mentally formulating a list of questions or hypotheses about the presented information that will have to be addressed. Before moving to the next phase, any additional data should be analyzed. 
- Wrap up this phase by (1) briefly summarizing your understanding of the presented concern; (2) ask the teacher whether your summary is correct; and (3) ask whether the teacher wants to add any additional information. 

Phase 2: Define problem, set goals, develop a plan. 
1-Define the problem based on analysis of comprehensive and concrete data. 
Determine whether or not the plan of collecting additional data was carried out. Meet with teacher to discuss it, ask them to voice their opinion. Make sure that when the classroom observation took place, in phase 1, that it was during a 'normal' day. If not, reschedule. Begin to present the gathered information with a positive comment about what was seen. Present and reflect any other collected information focusing on they key elements: points that will lead to an accurate problem definition, not just presenting and reviewing data. Present data in a more interpretable format - charts or graphs, for example. 
Analyzing data takes a careful eye to see if there are patterns or clues that may explain why a problem developed or is continuing. Be sensitive to the teacher's pride: be skillful in presenting the information. Don't accuse or blame the teacher for their actions, lack of action, or implying fault. At the end, summarize what both the teacher and coach have observed, and state a concise, accurate, and complete definition of the problem. (Even if the problem doesn't match the original problem definition from Phase 1.) 
2-Help the teacher set realistic and achievable goals. 
Move the focus of the teacher away from the worries and concerns about 'the problem' and think instead about some potential positive outcomes. 
3-Develop an intervention plan to address the concern and reach the identified goal.  
"While developing the plan, it is important to include a process for the coach to both help ensure that the plan is being correctly implemented and provide support and assurance while the teacher attempts to make changes in the current patterns of interactions with the target student." Formative and summative assessments are good to include. The coach could use the formative data to help support the intervention, and summative to determine the degree in which the goals have been met.
- Go through summary wrap-up like at the end of Phase 1. 

Phase 3: Implementing the Plan
- The teacher takes over! S/he implements the new method, uses additional instructional materials, sees that the student receives whatever help was specified in the plan of action, and collects any formative data. The coach will support the teacher so that the developed plan gets gets implemented accurately and completely and that data collection is conducted as planned. The teacher and coach can determine together whether the intervention should be continued, modified, or ended for some reason. [This sounds nearly identical to the SAT model I just completed for a student.]

Phase 4: Evaluation and Next Steps
- Together the coach and teacher analyze the information and use the results to make a decision about next steps. Should the intervention be: terminated, continued, or restructured? Even if  the teacher feels all of the goals have been achieved, there are still a few things that need to be taken care of. For instance, was the original concern been sufficiently addressed? Are there other issues that require your assistance? Other students needing help? Etc. 

Managing the SPS Process (It's collaborative!)
- The teacher: describes the concern and presents critical contextual information. They carry out the developed plan. 
- The coach: decides what additional information is needed to help target the problem, leads the development of the intervention and evaluation plan, and supports the teacher during the implementation of the plan. 

Streamlined Problem Solving
- This process certainly seems to take a long time, but thankfully, not ever problem that will come across your desk will required such a systematic and complete process. 
Positives of a team: Sometimes it may be more efficient for a group of people to tackle a problem - such as a team of teachers versus just one individual. [Perhaps having multiple perspectives on a case, will lead to a clearer picture of what the problem is.] The more people that are working on the problem, the wider the diversity of possible solutions. Ideas generated by a team have a better chance of spreading and reaching other students - potentially preventing other issues to conspire. 
Negatives of a team: Finding the time for everyone to meet, tendency of some individuals dominating a situation, time for everyone to partake, greater chance of things getting off topic, and different styles, skills, knowledge, and personalities to work with. 

Having an established problem solving team in the building is one took that would be a school-wide approach to helping every student be successful. 

** Main points: SRS is a four-phase model that doesn't always have to be used in problem solving situations. It reminds me of the SAT process our building has in place.

February 23, 2016: Chapter 4

Summary and Thoughts / Connections for Chapter 4:  

Time Management 
- Having a schedule is crucial! It is more open-ended than a classroom teacher, but it can easily fill up. (Reminds me of a school psychologist or counselor's schedule.) 
- Phase 1 = Problem Presentation and Analysis: Consider using the 3T-SR tool-for tracking an analyzing how time is spent. One should monitor how they are using their time in order to be most productive with the time they have. 
- Phase 2 = Data Analysis and Intervention Development: Set 1-3 realistic goals for how you will use your time, "My goal in four weeks is to be spending no more than 50 minutes on average each day on my paper and materials management." Get organized! [Question: Is having work time frowned upon? For instance: conducting research on how to work with a specific issue, creating things for staff/students to use in the classroom, other paperwork.] 
- Phase 3 = Implementation: Implement the plan/goals. Make interim decisions based on how things are going; adjust as needed.
- Phase 4 = Evaluation: Collect and analyze new data to assess how time is being spent. Set new goals if the old ones have been met, or stick with the old goals if steady progress has been made, or revisit the list in phase 2 and consider rewriting the action plan and modifying goals.
- Feeling overwhelmed with trying to help everyone is probably going to happen. Before approaching your principal or supervisor, prepare data that shows how you are using your time (3T-SR). Consider having the supervisor read Ch. 10 of the book!
- [I doubt my principal would read the entire book, but he may read one chapter. I think the hard evidence of how my time is used would help him understand what I'm doing with my time. That way if teachers complained about me not being as available to help them as they would like, he would be able to understand and explain it to them.]

Communication
- "A key foundational skill for a coach is the ability to listen, understand, empathize, and share information effectively with colleagues."  

- The more tense and high stake and confusing the situation, the more you need to be skillful and formal in your communication. It is a good idea to have rehearsed some skills before a tense situation, so that you are able to remain professional and get the job done. 
- Nonverbal communication can include not just your body language but how you are being perceived. 
- SOLER Technique: Sit quietly, maintain Open posture, Lean forward, maintain Eye contact, be as Relaxed as possible. Really, following this technique is good for anytime you are supposed to be listening to someone! 
- Active listening is about not just listening, but truly understanding the meaning of the words that were stated and the nonverbal communication used. Active listening is more dynamic and engaged than passive. An active listener should: have empathy, be authentic, postpone interruption, suspend judgement, stay attentive to the speaker, have patience, and no interrupt. [Honestly, sometimes I find it hard to focus on what someone else is saying because I have a question or comment about what they're saying -that will better help me understand them. I know that by me focusing on remember what I want to say is also me not paying attention to them, but by the time they're done, I forget what I wanted to ask/say. This is definitely something I would need to work on!] 
- Use verbal and nonverbal encouragers, but use them sparingly. These include: 'oh' or 'mm-hmm'. Even 'oh?' or 'I see', 'go on'. Be sure to have patience through the quiet times of the speaker talking. Give them the opportunity to think things through and finish their thought before you try to guess what they're going to say. 

Verbal Listening Skills
- Reflecting: listener offers a guess or hunch based on cues obtained from the speaker's presentation, both verbal and nonverbal. This should be nonjudgemental and concise. These comments are NOT about the quality or appropriateness of the interventions the teacher has tried. Instead, you should acknowledge that the teacher has worked hard and is probably feeling discouraged. [In the heat of the moment, this could be difficult. I should probably start practicing this, even with my toddler, just to get in the routine of it.] 
- Paraphrasing: This should be a response that restates the essence of the speaker's content in the listener's own words. This is condensed and concise. Don't parrot the information. "So what you're saying is..." -is a good way to do this. 
- Asking questions: Clarifying questions can follow a paraphrase, "Did I get that right?. Perception questions can help to make sure the reflection of feelings was correct. Questions that elicit elaboration can help the listener better understand the speaker, "Can you tell me a bit more about the types of things you've already tried with this student?" -This is also a close-ended question -eliciting a limited response. Open-ended questions are good to help begin a conversation or start the flow of shared information. 
- Summarizing: This should be a fairly brief statement of the important themes, issues, and feelings that have been expressed by the speaker. A well-constructed summary can help the speaker see an integrated version of the concerns and issues that the speaker shared. 
- Avoiding jargon, professional terminology, and slang. "Using words that are unknown, unclear, or possibly intimidating to the speaker could serve to make the speaker feel uncomfortable, unimportant, irrelevant, or incompetent." 
- Avoid unnecessary interruptions: If you MUST interrupt, do it when the speaker brings up something that is not relevant, begins to ramble, the conversation is not helpful to the problem-solving process, repeats information, or seems unsure how to end the conversation. 

Consider role-playing to help you prepare for various situations. [I recall doing this when I was a peer mediator in middle school. While it seemed silly at the time, it was amazingly helpful in guiding the mediation and remembering what to say.]

Choice Article: 

Understanding Coach-Based Professional Development in Reading First: How do Coaches Spend Their Time and How do Teachers Perceive Coaches' Work?

DOI: 10.1080/19388071.2011.569845

Brief Highlights of the Article and connections/thoughts:

"Because literacy coaching is unlikely to lead to improvements in reading achievement unless the teachers benefit from coaching, we believe it is critical to examine teachers' views of coaching and to understand the role of knowledge in coach and teacher interactions." --- I strongly agree with this. If teachers are not receptive to a coach's (or even case manager's) recommendations, suggestions, time, etc. the likelihood of progress being made with a student is quite limited. 

I appreciated a list of roles that some coaches did during this brief study:

• structural category
• planning
• pop-in visits in classrooms
• grade level meetings
• working with student one-on-one
• working with small group of students
• modeling lesson
• team teaching
• attending professional development
• leading professional development
• one-on-one meeting with teacher
• doing assessments with students
• teacher observation
• student observation
• assisting with K-3 classrooms
• teaching in classroom
• meeting with principal

- Coaches divided up their time as follows: 1/3 of their time went to direct contact with teachers and students. 1/3 of their time was spent planning and doing assessment related work (making graphs, distributing materials, and data entry). 13% of their time involved working with students, and another 13% of their time was spent meeting with the principal or other school-based specialists.

- Coaches were more secure with their ability to use assessment data to inform instruction, and were rated themselves lowest on their knowledges of teaching English Language Learners. I'm not terribly surprised. Using data can be easy if you understand how to read it and gather information from it. Data can change, but how you interpret it doesn't. Working with human beings (ELLs) is harder because it varies. Each student is an entirely new case to work with. Even if a coach "masters" a group of ELLs one year, does not mean the coach will be able to the following year. Even then, kids change throughout the year. Bottom line: working with ELLs is more difficult than working with data. 

- Coaches altered their coaching based on the knowledge level of the teacher they were working with. For instance, if a teacher seemed less knowledgeable, the coach would model lessons in the classroom; if a teacher had stronger knowledge, the coach was more inclined to discuss data and recent research findings.

- Assessment seemed to take up the most time of coaches. [Is this because teachers have less 'flexible' time to complete assessments themselves?]

-Teachers felt they most benefited from coaches when coaches would: 

• attend weekly meetings
• help interpret assessment data
• provide hands-on practice

- Coaching is an "all hands on deck" practice. If the principal supports the coach, the teachers are more likely to support the coach. Everyone is involved for improvement of students. 

February 16, 2016: Chapter 3

Summary and Thoughts / Connections for Chapter 3:  

- A reading coach can take on various roles. With all teachers I work with, try to check in with them monthly to see how things are going: keep open communication.
  * Facilitator: If things are going well this will be the likely role.
  * Collaborative Problem Solver: This role will be used if a teacher identifies a concern about a student or group of students. 
  * Teacher/Learner: I would use this role if I found a lot of teachers seem to share the same concern. I would probably need to think about professional development here. Discussing with principals about these needs and student performance data will help steer the potential for needed professional development. 

Entry 
- What is my definition of a Reading Coach?
- Outline the tasks that I CAN do and tasks that I CANNOT do. (This will make it clear for teachers to know what I can help with.) Without ever being a reading coach, how will I know what I can/cannot do? I would hate to only list things I can do and then have something pop up that is out of my realm - only to put that on my list of "can nots" and have a teacher/student feel I'm just tossing them to the side. 

- Be sure to communicate with administration a clear description of the role of a reading coach and hold ongoing discussions about the role and expectations for performance. Ask him/her what sorts of tasks they envision me doing, if they've had previous experience working with a reading coach, etc. 

Confidentiality and Professional Ethics
- Understand the difference between coaching and supervision. Supervision is about making evaluative decisions on staff. Coaching has a focus on students; it has nothing to do with judging or evaluating teachers. (I think if teachers understood this, they would be more inclined to have a coach in their classrooms. Maybe.)
- Coaches must be invited by the teacher to observe the class. Principals can come by unannounced to observe as needed. If a teacher does not want a coach in his/her classroom, then the coach cannot go -it's that easy. 
- If I experience a teacher who is consistently providing poor or no instruction, making hurtful/derogatory statements about a student, or showing physically inappropriate behavior toward students, am I allowed to say anything to administration? I understand that there is a confidentiality piece with coaching, but if I must keep the students' best interests in mind, and I feel what is happening isn't what is best for them, how would I handle that situation?

Building a Caseload
- Begin with novice teachers. They're more likely willing to have others in their classrooms to assist, offer suggestions and feedback, model, etc. 
- Difficult to work with teachers. These teachers may feel that a classroom problem isn't their fault - but a student(s) fault. I KNOW there is at least one teacher in my building who is like this. She is more than willing to accept help, but it has to be on her terms, and she treats the help like a consulting friend. If a coach were to be in her classroom, how would one go about offering suggestions to her, about what she could do differently for the student -when all she has done in the past is complain about the kid because her usual 'tricks' and 'tools' didn't work? (This is one of my bigger fears as a future coach. Working with a teacher who just wants to pass a student on to someone else.)

Drum up Business
- Advertise: Don't just announce at a staff meeting about what you're doing, and able to do. Post signs around school (staff lounge, office, email, etc.). Provide a list of tasks and services I can do in addition to a schedule (when, where, and how a teacher can reach me). 
- Start small: Working with a willing colleague will not only be a nice way to start the coaching experience, it will also be a safe place to start before dealing with difficult teachers or situations. 
- Give credit to others. Coaching is a collaborative effort between the coach and teacher. Coaches aren't filled with a magic bag of tricks, it is the knowledge of the coach and teacher working together to make progress with students happen. 
- Don't separate roles: Engage in tasks and responsibilities that teachers do - as a way for them to see me as 'one of them'. If they start to see me as someone with an administrator role, they will probably be less likely to have me in their classroom, considering they already having principals observing them, etc. 

** Open and honest dialogue among all participants greatly facilitates the development of this new professional role. 

Choice Article: 

Promises and Cautions Regarding Using Response to Intervention With English Language Learners

ARTICLE in LEARNING DISABILITY QUARTERLY 30(3):213-218 · JULY 2007 with 12 READS

Impact Factor: 0.77 · DOI: 10.2307/30035565

Brief Highlights of the Article and connections/thoughts:

- This article references the IDEA. With new ELL laws set in place in the past couple of years, I wonder if this has changed much.

- Regardless of the native language ELLs have, they are mostly instructed in English-only classrooms. This itself may cause students to struggle more than their non-ELL peers. This doesn't meant that ELLs don't know the content, but they certainly aren't understanding what is being taught to them, because they do not know the language. 

- Explicit teaching, whether it's phonological awareness, decoding, or letter-sound relationships, can be taught to both ELLs and non-ELLs. 

- When ELLs are in the early primary grades (PreK-2), they often do okay with their peers -as teachers are doing explicit teaching for everyone. The later, in age, ELLs start school, the harder it will be for them to make up the 'lost time' of explicit instruction. It seems that in middle school, teachers spend less time teaching explicitly -compared to their elementary counterparts. Perhaps this is why we see more ELL Classes offered at secondary schools, where in elementary schools, ELLs are simply pulled for 30-45 minutes every couple of days a week. 

- Even if a school is familiar with RTI, is this something a reading coach could assist a teacher with? Could the coach provide suggestions that follow the RTI model for a teacher, even if the school didn't have training or expectations on RTI?