Week 11: Reflecting on Yourself in the Change Process

Each of the 10 Guiding Principles in Chapter 11 are thought provoking and I feel that I could have chosen any of them for my blog discussion.  I chose to discuss Principles #1 and #9 because of what I've learned this semester about relationships between literacy leaders and teachers, as well as what I've learned about sustained PD.  

Guiding Principle #1:  Evaluation and change are highly personal.  No claims of "objectivity" or "data-driven decision making" can circumvent this reality.  People change first, then programs; significant change is never easy.  Anticipate emotional responses to evaluation and change.  Take time to build relationships.

Question #1:  What is your relationship with the faculty, parents, and administration?

I feel that family relationships is a strength for me.  I have a positive relationship with the vast majority of my families and I can say that with many of them our relationship is strong.  Although I don't have children of my own, I make a point of trying to understand their concerns, fears, and questions.  I try to remember to think about how I would want my child treated and cared for in a center.  When parents have come to my office with concerns I listen first.  After they have a change to voice their worries I try to paraphrase what I think I've heard them say and take a few notes if necessary so I can remember specifics.  If I don't have an answer right then, I don't have a problem saying "I don't know, but I will find out for you".  I think following through with what I tell parents has strengthened our relationship and they know they can trust me.

Other than myself, administration at my school is made up of my assistant and my owner.  My assistant and I work closely on projects most days.  I do have responsibilities she doesn't, but we are in sync for day to day operations of the center.  Overall, I think we have a good relationship.  We've worked together for 3 1/2 years and we have similar thoughts and beliefs about many issues.  We certainly have our differences, but I feel that we are able to discuss them openly.  I have a very good relationship with our owner.  He and I have discussed before that we're able to talk about ideas and changes and actually listen to each other.  We don't always agree, but we're willing to hear each other out and compromise when it comes to implementing changes at school.

Where my teachers are concerned, I would say that I have an overall good relationship with them.  I try to be respectful and remember what it's like to be the only adult in a classroom for 8 hours each day.  I definitely don't ask them to do anything I haven't done myself and I've begun checking in with them several times during the day for supplies, feedback, support, or whatever they need.  That being said.....just today it was brought to my attention that one of my teachers feels that I favor another.  I don't personally think I do, but regardless of what I think the perception for my teacher is that I do.  I don't know what to do about that.  I try hard to treat them fairly, but maybe I'm not doing such a great job at it.  

Question #2:  Can you identify the strengths of all the teachers you work with in the school?

When I started to think about all 35 members of my staff, I came up with at least one strength for 20 of them.  This makes me think I don't know the other 15 well enough to know their strengths.  This is an area where I need to work harder to develop really strong relationships.

Question #3:  In what ways have you actively reached out to build a community of learners that is willing to take risks?

 I am slowly beginning to assemble a core group of teachers that will become a leadership team.  I currently have three teachers who have 10-15 years of teaching experience.  We're working out details on when meetings would be most feasible.  I also think I need to survey my staff to determine in which areas they desire more information and development.  After our group discussions about sustained PD and working on my PD plan I feel more confident planning for my center staff, but for them to take ownership it needs to be related to their personal goals.    

Guiding Principle #9:  No changes are important if they cannot be sustained.

Question:  What provisions are being made for sustained changes in the program?

On page 161 of WSQ 11 the authors state "sustainable change is not about supporting change to a final point, but to always "stay changing" in ways that reflect growth.  This is not change for change's sake".  That speaks volumes.  To me that means I must be willing to constantly evaluate and reflect on our program and implement changes when necessary.  The authors also write that specialists shouldn't confuse leadership with ownership.  Instead, "ownership of the program has to rest with those making the changes".  I think Principle #9 is closely related to question 3 above.  For me to make sustained changes in my program, I must have a tight-knit community of learners that are willing to invest time and energy in their program.  

Questions for my group-----

What suggestions do you have for identifying strengths of teachers and building a stronger team?

Chapters 10, 13 & 14

Chapter 10:  Assessing Reading Achievement

This chapter discusses recent developments in reading assessments:  classroom assessment and large-scale assessment.  Several of the new developments are:  new forms of summative assessment integrating technology and reading with other language arts, inclusion of performance assessments in both large-scale and classroom assessments, formative assessment gaining research-supported acceptance as an essential tool, and data-driven instruction can be a "two-edged sword" in that it can do away with effective and ineffective instruction.

In the section on large-scale assessments for accountability, the authors talk about the "narrowing of the curriculum" when the focus on accountability is based on achievement in two areas:  reading and math.  This of course limits the time spent teaching science, social studies, health, art and music.  The authors state that this "ultimately threatens to limit students' comprehension development, since a reader cannot understand a passage about science or social studies if the concepts covered in the passage are unknown or only vaguely understood".  Teacher and student motivation/engagement may also be affected by the emphasis on large-scale assessment if children must be tested every year in math and reading.  There are also concerns that children's culture, home language, and economics are not taken into consideration when the focus is on testing accountability.

Large-scale assessment can be misused (using this tool to make decisions about individual students), but is helpful in determining where there are gaps in achievement across specific groups of children, examining curriculum areas to determine weaker instruction or comprehension, and it is also an outside yardstick for student achievement.  Further on in the chapter, the authors state that "assessments must gather evidence that students have achieved entire standards, not merely components of the standards".

Student reading assessment is closely tied to curriculum,  instruction, and materials.   How and what we teach and the tools we use during instruction help determine how successful students are in literacy growth.   The materials we use during instruction and assessment also determine whether we receive an accurate picture of student growth.

Chapter 13:  Reaching Linguistically Diverse Students

Chapter 13 opens with the scenario of a 13 year old boy from Guatemala who loved Science class before coming to the US, but is currently having difficulty even though he is learning English.   His teachers speaks too quickly and doesn't offer examples he understands.   The chapter continues to discuss why ELLs have more difficulty in content areas.

Between 1980 and 2009 the number of children speaking languages other than English at home rose from 4.7 million to 11.2 million.   The authors also remind us of the vast differences in citizenship status, age, socioeconomic status, and educational experiences.  Figure 13.1 is a more comprehensive list of factors that contribute to diversity.

Chapter 13 continues by discussing Instructional Modes and Program Options for ELLs.   They offer examples such as Transitional and Developmental Bilingual Education, Two Way Immersion, English Language Development, Shared Instruction, and Newcomer Programs.

One really interesting model discussed at length is the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP).  SIOP consists of 30 features divided into 8 components:  Lesson Prep, Building Background, Compressible Input,  Strategies, Interaction, Practice & Application, Lesson Delivery,  and Review & Assessment.   The authors state that what sets SIOP apart from "just good teaching" is the emphasis on teaching English as well as teaching specific content.

There is also emphasis on the role of literacy leaders in choosing the appropriate instructional model for students.   It is most certainly teamwork used when planning, implementing, and evaluating ELL success.

I think this chapter demonstrates the necessity for participation and communication between parents, teachers, and literacy leaders.   Instructional methods are extremely important in how successful ELL students are in school.  

Chapter 14:  Response to Intervention

RTI is a multiple layer system used to as an intensive intervention to increase student achievement.  Tier 1 consists of providing high quality teaching for ALL children in a general classroom setting.   All students are screened at this level.

Tier 2 is a type of supplemental instruction (tutoring) for students who were identified through screening as "at risk".  Students continue to receive Tier 1 instruction at this time.   Tier 2 instruction takes place over 8 to 12 weeks for 20 to 30 minutes per session.   Students are then reevaluated to determine if Tier 3 instruction is necessary.

Tier 3 is more intense instruction in a smaller group size.   This provides more student-teacher interactions and is tailored to meet the unique needs of students.  

The role of the literacy leader in RTI could be as the curriculum expert and add the one who determines available resources.   They may also be the person who provides PD for new methods as well as managing RTI (scheduling, organizing, etc) in the building.

I think RTI involves each literacy area.   As I thought about curriculum, materials,  parent involvement, assessment, and instruction, I could not think of one area that isn't critical.

Erin & Kaitlin,

1. Have you used RTI in your classroom or been part of a team that has used it?   Was it successful?
2.  Have much language diversity have you experienced in your classrooms?  What methods did you use for struggling students?

PD Plan and Coaching

As you ladies know, I'm working with a teacher at my center for my coaching cycle.  Nicole wants to learn about keeping children engaged during read alouds in the PreK class.  Yesterday I modeled a read aloud that focused on student engagement and interest.  Nicole & I are meeting Wednesday to plan our co-teaching lesson, which we will implement next Monday.  Our goal is to have coaching completed by October 28th.  Nicole is open minded and willing to work with others, so coaching her has been less stressful than I imagined.

The vast percentage of students in my Program Planning class are interested in phonics and reading development.  They also indicated they prefer learning through small group discussion, hands on lessons, and book study.  I also have a few that would like more information about how to teach science, math, the arts, and how to use technology in teaching literacy.  So for my PD plan I've sketched out a plan for the next 12 months that addresses phonics, reading/writing development, and technology use in the classroom.  For Task 3, I want to develop a PD on phonics instruction since so many of my students are interested in it.  I know I want to use small groups or technology, but I don't have all of the details yet.  If I can develop a PD that includes technology in the teaching of phonics, I would like to use that for my grant proposal.

My questions this week are related to my PD plan.
1.     How do I include science, math, and the arts in a literacy PD?
2.     If you were attending a phonics development PD, what would you like to see demonstrated or learn about?

Thank you ladies so much for your feedback!  

Professional Development 2

The strategies of article study, faculty meeting PD, and lesson study have expanded my thought process on how successful and powerful PD sessions are created.  Each strategy has it's own place and value.

I believe human beings learn through small group discussion so I would like to implement article study in the PD I'm developing.  What I really like about article study is the fact that it's low-tech for those who are scared of computers.  You don't need special tools, it's easy to implement, flexible, and can encourage common language and understanding among peers.  Article study does require more prep than we might think.  I agree with reading and rereading the article before the study.  On page 50 I LOVE the 3-2-1 and Text Coding formats!  I didn't read in the text (unless I just missed it) that teachers first read the articles during the study itself.  I'm assuming they are distributed/emailed to teachers before hand so they can think critically about the text.  Even if I'm unable to include this in my PD I will be using it in my Program Planning class.

PD in faculty/staff meetings is the most familiar of the three for me.  At my previous setting, a high percentage of staff meetings included some type of training.  Training ranged from DHS updates, DAP and First Aid, to Portfolio Assessment, Bloodborne Pathogens, and Safety.  Once a year we closed the center for an on-site PD Day which usually saw us divided into age levels.  I think a pro of faculty PD is the opportunity teachers have to discuss school policy, research, and issues relevant to the entire staff.  For short faculty meetings, I thought it was a great idea to hold your PD session at the beginning of the staff meeting to ensure you have enough time with teachers.  I also think faculty PD is a good way of having regular times set aside for training.  What I learned most from this strategy is that I need to seriously work on my center staff meetings.  I feel like we get easily sidetracked by "housekeeping" issues.

This was honestly the first time I'd read about lesson study.  I had no idea how involved it would be.  What I like most about this strategy is that it is truly a collaborative effort.  Teachers are embedded in the task together and build stronger collegial relationships.  Before I reached the end of the chapter I thought lesson study would be cool if you could actually get people to do it.  I was so glad to read about Mr. De La Cruz and how his teachers implement the strategy in the real world.  He and the literacy coach acknowledge that lesson study days can be hectic, but there is purpose and value in lesson study.  They also mention that teacher leaders are typically ready to assume facilitation of the group by the second quarter.  This reminded me of gradual release of responsibility.

After reading Strategy 7 I feel better equipped to create powerful/engaging PD.  I love that it breaks down the PD step by step, and reminds us to "model the dispositions that you expect of the participants".  At first I thought it seemed tedious, but I realized that if we don't prepare and put time and effort into it how can we expect others to do the same.

Meeting times:  I'm flexible, friends.

• Wednesday after 3
• Thursday & Friday after 630
• Saturday is open
• Sunday after 1