I spent the better portion of last week on Long Island, introducing Studio to junior and senior high school teachers and exploring writing instruction and practice with them in a variety of settings. Part of our work unfolded in workshop sessions, there were several conversations with diverse groups, and we spent extended time coaching in both buildings. I learned a great deal from this experience and will probably devote most of this week’s posts to…
I’m very excited to be spending this evening with local teachers, administrators, and literacy coaches at a meet and greet session of WNYLIT–a new forum for current and potential literacy coaches in Western New York. If you are interested in joining us at the Carrier Center in Angola, New York tonight or in the future, please contact me to register. There is no cost for participation. I’m grateful to Theresa Gray and her colleagues at…
I’m looking forward to many new adventures and learning opportunities in the coming year, some of which are documented inside of this month’s Coaching Connection. These newsletters are designed specifically for the WNY teachers that I coach, but others might enjoy them as well. Glad to be back! Here’s to a happy, healthy, and productive new year! January Coach Connect
I began shifting away from light coaching about three months into my first coaching experience. Doing so was frightening. I was afraid that insisting on evidence-based goals, using formative assessment to inform our work, and saying no to requests that were not aligned to students’ needs (which was our purpose) would increase levels of resistance and decrease teachers’ willingness to engage as equal members in a collaborative relationship. None of this happened as we transitioned…
On page 21 of Coaching: Approaches and Perspectives, Joellen Killion begins outlining critical differences between what she defines as coaching heavy and coaching light. I appreciated the clarity provided from the outset around the notion that coaching light is often our entry point into this work with teachers. Coaching in this way allows us to build relationships, establish credibility, and meet the needs of those who are interested in adopting new practices. The same can happen if…
When groups of learners come together to collaborate, the honeymoon is usually pretty sweet–and oftentimes, short lived. When I first began facilitating group learning experiences, I sometimes found myself thrown off-guard by shifting group dynamics and the uncomfortable challenges that these changes entailed. I learned that it was all pretty normal and healthy though. Whether we’re inviting students into cooperative learning groups, facilitating learning communities, or working with others in collegial inquiry groups, as people…
My learning and my work as a literacy coach is significantly enhanced by the people of the web. Here are some of my favorite tools that allow me to connect with them. Where did I learn about them? Online, of course! My blog is a vehicle for communicating with those that I coach. Posts are often developed in response to their needs. For instance, this year we’ve begun building internal capacity for coaching in several…
This year, I’m excited to be sharing a monthly newsletter with those that I coach. I thought I’d share here as well–feel free to take a peek and pass along. Thanks for inspiring me to use Scribd, Nancy! You may also download the “clickable” document here: octobercoachingnewsletter October Coaching Newsletter 5bpkxmg2cn
Before I spent most of my days literacy coaching, I spent most of them facilitating workshops. Sometimes, I’m asked my opinions about which sorts of learning experiences make the most difference for teachers, and I always stumble over my response. It depends on the purpose of the learning, I guess. It also depends on the learner, the facilitator, and the coach. I know that there are moments that call for a great keynote and a…
Just as teachers rely upon a gradual release of responsibility model to ensure effective instruction, many coaches begin moving toward similar models once they’ve established agreed-upon learning targets for their efforts with teachers. I was first introduced to this model through my study of Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey’s work and then again when I was exposed to Jeff Wilhelm’s kid-friendly version in one of my favorite texts, Reading is Seeing. As a coach, I…