[MOSAIC] Interactive Reading Websites

[RICHARD THEXTON]

Lee's Summit, huh?  My husband does National Guard at Harrisonville!  It's a small world, isn't it!  We go to the movies in Lee's Summit!
  I am an elementary lit coach, but could provide you the e-mail of a colleague of mine that is a middle school lit coach(She was high school last year, AR teacher of the year, great resource!)
  As for my role and responsibilities,  I think they are similar for all of our coaches in Rogers, AR, and we wear many hats!  Of course, first and foremost, is our job-embedded professional development. Unfortunately, we are not using the AR Comprehensive Literacy Coaching Model at this time, so we have kind of created our own plan.  I began by building rapport and trust with teachers, doing whatever I could to make their job easier!  Once that trust was built, I went into classrooms by invitation only.  Buy-in is crutial to an LC"s success.  I model whatever the teacher would like to see.  Then post-conference with that teacher about what she observed that she might be able to add to her teaching.  In almost every case, once I modeled that first lesson, teachers were more than willing to work with me to grow professionally, either by co-planning and/or co-teaching lessons.  The observation is the part I have a hard time getting them to let me do!  I always tell teachers
 that I am NOT an administrator...I don't even own a yellow legal pad:)
  In addition to modeling lessons at teacher's request, I also offer a text-talk once a month.  During faculty meetings I often wil try to model a strategy with teachers as the students.
  I accomodate for testing, as needed, provide intervention trainings, facilitate Literacy Team Meetings and Intervention Team Meetings, maintain our bookroom and assessment wall, serve on a educational cooperative effort to realign NWA's curriculum, and analyze way too much data!  Daily I work with 4 1st grade struggling readers in a group, keep one Reading Recovery student and provide an accelerated group of 3rd graders an interactive read aloud.
  After school, I teach K-1 teachers in Early Literacy Learning for Arkansas instruction. 
  My principal and I work very closely together to acheive the goals we have set for increased student achievement and professional growth for teachers.  
  This is also our first year to be school-wide title I, so I also wear the hat of building Title I coordinator.
  It is not a job for the weary, let me assure you.  In a k-5 building, there are many needs and I personally have to analyze to prioritize!
  I would highly recommend that your district decide on a job description prior to the hiring of LC's.  See IRA for their's.  It's a good one:)
  All of our Lit Coaches come to the table with something special to offer to the group of coaches.  3 of us are Reading Recovery trained, 1 is a Step Up to Writing National Trainer, several have gone through Literacy Lab, one is also our ELA Curriculum Director!  The experiences and trainings of your applicants, as well as their inter-personal skills, will truly determine your success. Without an excellent rapport with other teachers, you can forget it!
  You might contact Beth Waggoner at Odessa, MO's k-2 building if you would like to see a phenomenal example of a coaching model in action.  They have really got it going on!
  I know this is wordy, but the Coaching position is so very broad ( and I'm sure I'm forgetting something...no, I"m sure I could  go on, but I won't!) 
  Be sure to check out www.arliteracymodel.org for excellent resources on coaching, in addition to www.reading.org.   Your district will NOT be sorry for taking this step.    Good Luck!
  Kelli

Terri.Sievers at leesummit.k12.mo.us wrote:
  
Kelli,

I am teaching in a suburban school district that is considering adding
literacy coaches in the secondary schools. Do you have any information you
could share about your role/responsibilities as a literacy coach or about
the process of implementing coaches in your building?

Thank you.

Terri




Terri Sievers
Reading Specialist
Bernard C. Campbell Middle School
1201 NE Colbern Road
Lee's Summit, MO 64086
Voice Mail: 986-1499 Extension 8404
Email: terri.sievers at leesummit.k12.mo.us


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