Literacy Coaching:Developing Highly Skilled Teachers

Through Instructional Dialogue

IRA 2007 – Toronto

Presented by:

Katie Moeller

The hand outs are available for downloading at www.reading.org. A link to

available presentation materials will appear on the convention program page of IRA’s website (www.reading.org/association/meetings/annual_program.html). Presentation materials will remain accessible for six months after the presentation date. You may also visit www.rcowen.com and a link will be available for the presentation materials.

Principles of Learning

• Effort produces achievement

• Learning is active; it is about making connections

• We learn with and through others

• Learning takes time

The Reflective Process

Reconstruct

Challenge

Describe

Reflection Analyze

Principles of Learning

• Effort produces achievement

• Learning is active; it is about making connections

• We learn with and through others

• Learning takes time

Essentials of ReflectionLearn to frame and reframe complex or

ambiguous problems.

Learning to look back upon our actions after they have taken place.

Thinking by linking recent experiences to earlier ones to promote a more complex or interrelated mental schema.

The thinking involves looking for:

1. commonalities

2. differences

3. interrelationships beyond the superficial

Ultimately reflection is all about developing higher order thinking.

Questions to Support Reflective Thought

What is it I know? What is it I think I know?

What do I want to learn?

What is the support I need?

Source:

The Reflective Practioner: How Professionals Think in Action by Donald A. Schon.

ACTION PLAN

Name: ________ Date: ________

What is your current challenge in literacy instruction?

What is/are your question/questions?

What do you know about that area and what are you trying?

What support do you need?

Source: Literacy Coaching, Developing Effective Teachers through Instructional Dialogue by Marilyn Duncan

Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc.

Group Action Plan

Date: ___________

Site: __________________

1. Topic for Exploration:

2. Our Questions:

Record of Learning

Name: ________ Date: ____

Site: __________

Notes:

Learning:

Next Steps:

FeedbackWhy is it so important?

“Feedback only leads to learning gains when it includes guidance about how to improve.

Typically, teachers are told what they need to do to improve instruction. Teachers are less likely to be shown what the improvement looks like and the steps needed to make that improvement.”

-Marilyn Duncan

Analyzing Instructional Dialogue

• two column note taking

• observed behavior – 1 column

• analyzing the behavior- 1 column

• a coach’s monitoring notebook

Implications

• What are the implications here?

• How do coaches get better at their work?

• Who coaches the coaches?