Three Ways to Ensure Your Coach Thrives

1. Give your coach training in coaching. Teaching, leading, and working with adult learners requires different skills and strategies then those used with children. Most teachers who become coaches aren’t trained to lead their peers. Invest ing in professional development for the coach is a way to ensure your coaching plans get off the ground.

(See the list of recommended coaching institutes and professional books on page 5 .)

2. Make sure the coach has a shoulder to lean o n . S t e p p i n g i n t o a coaching role is daunting, especially if you are used to w o r k i n g o n a t e a m . Coaching can be an isolated job. Make sure the coach has someone to go to when he/she needs to bounce around ideas. Similarly, principals should recognize that coaches might need guidance on how to handle ( a n d d i f f u s e ) d i f fi c u l t situations, bring people together, and how to handle criticism.

3. Ensure the coach has a plan to follow. We want teachers to have plans for teaching, the coach too needs a plan for coaching. If the school has clear priorities for moving forward, the coach can find ways to use his/her role to facilitate change. Without a clear plan, a coach is open to “coaching” whims. Similarly, a plan means expectations are clearly laid out for everyone before the coach even begins working with teachers.

(See our 3-year plan on page 7.)

“Let’s Get a Coach!”

The Promise of CoachingNESA FALL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE PRESENTATION KATMANDU, NEPAL, OCTOBER 2010

Jen Munnerlyn- Literacy Coach

We coach to increase each teacher’s...

Knowledge

“The role of a coach is a complex one that shifts and changes in response to the culture of your school, your

teachers’ needs, and your continually evolving knowledge and skills.”- Literacy Coaching: The Essentials by Katherine

Casey

Jane Shartzer- Elementary Principal

Skills

1

Just as teachers in the classroom need to have an understanding of where their learners are before they can plan for what students need, coaches must take the time to clearly understand each teacher’s stage of development, in order to offer targeted professional development.

Coaches and principals can use Brian Cambourne’s Conditions of Learning (see page 3) and The Gradual Release of Responsibility Model below, to plan for teacher learning over time.

Careful, thoughtful, transparent planning for learning helps us all be more successful.

Coaches must be aware of the needs of their learners: The Teachers

Coaching with a Gradual Release of Responsibility Model-

Proportion of Responsibility for Task Completion

all coach

“I Do It”

joint responsibility

“We Do It”all teacher

“You Do It”

DISCOVERY OR DEMONSTRATION- demonstrate lessons- plan lessons- read professional books/watch

videos/attend conferences and share out learning

GUIDED USE

INDEPENDENT USE- observation with

feedback

gradual release of responsibility

The gradual release of responsibility model (adapted from Rhodes & Dudley-Marling 1996)

2

Teacher-learners need to be immersed in the approach and philosophy.

Teacher-learners need to see many demonstrations of how the approach looks.

The experiences of those close to the teacher are very important. We achieve what we expect to achieve, and fail what we expect to fail.

Teacher-learners are more likely to engage in demonstrations of people close to them and who hold high expectations of them.

Teacher-learners need to make their own decisions about how, when and what bits to learn of any learning task. Learners who lose the ability to make decisions are disempowered.

Teacher-learners need time and opportunity to use and practice their developing skills in meaningful ways.

Teacher-learners must be free to approximate the desired model. Mistakes are essential for learning.

Feedback is an essential part of learning. This response should be relevant and appropriate.

Immersion

Demonstration

Expectation

Responsibility

Practice/Use

Approximation

Response

The probability of engagement increases if these conditions are also optimally present.

Helping teachers make these decisions is what the art of coaching is all about.

Engagement

This occurs when the teacher learner is convinced that:1. I am able to do what I am being shown how to do.2. I would like to be able to do this because it would be useful to me.3. I feel secure enough to take the risk and try.

Modified from Katherine Casey’s Workshop, Center For Educational Leadership’s Summer Coaching Institute- 2008

Brian Cambourne’s Conditions of Learning-

Applied to Coaching

3

Coach’s need to communicate...

Foster a STRONG Coach/Principal RelationshipTake Time to Develop Trust

O v e r t i m e , w i t h c o n s i s t e n t communication, the coach and principal should develop a trusting relationship. This doesn’t mean they will always agree, but once trust is established, more meaningful work can be done.

Establish Regular Meeting Times

Plan for and maintain regular meeting times. This ensures the principal is aware of what the coach is working on, and allows the coach time to fully explain her approach.

Bounce Ideas Off Each Other

As school leaders, both the principal and coach are often “out in front”. Setting aside time in weekly meeting to share ideas and strategies gives the coach and principal a safe place to “think aloud” as well as a colleague to learn with.

Coaching the Principal

Often the principal is learning new teaching strategies or best practice models right along side her teachers. A trusting relationship along with set meeting times helps the coach offer PD on topics for the principal.

Schooling the Coach

If taking on a leadership role is new for a coach, the principal can mentor the coach on how to handle the pressure. If the relationship is solid, a coach can glean coping strategies and ideas from the principal, without implicating teachers or naming names.

Jen’s MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

[2]

Grades 1-5 DRA/MAP/WTW Analysis Meeting:

Tuesday, October 12: 3:30-4:30 in the ES MPRWe will meet to discuss the Fall DRA results.

Please bring the following:

• Your Assessment Notebook with the ACS DRA Guidelines

and your TinkerPlot from Aug. 2010 (last year’s data).

• Your Teacher Notebook with the Fall DRAs inside.

• 1-2 WS Reps: Please bring your completed Words Their Way

spelling inventories (Feature Guide and Class Composite). (If

others on the team have the data please bring it too.)

OCTOBER CURRICULUM TEAM MEETINGS:

Hang On!

KG2-5 ERD

Thursday, October 14: 1:15-2:45 in the ES MPRKnowing we have so much on our plates right now, we will be

taking time to review and reflect about: On Demand Writing,

Words Their Way Spelling Inventory, new Booksource Books,

DRA/Map data. Representatives from the curriculum teams will

lead these discussions.

Then, we will take time to review our past Regie Routman

sessions and preview where we will be going with Regie this year.

Please bring the following:

Red Regie Routman text; questions, ideas, confusions about

everything we’ve worked on so far this year.

EARLY CHILDHOOD PD- KG1, and INTERESTED KG2 and G1 teachers

Thursday, October 14: 2:45-3:45 in the ES MPRWhat are the components of literacy for young learners? How

do we address these throughout the day in KG1, KG2, and G1.

*Please see the ERD plan attached for the whole-year picture

of these sessions.

Sunday: Oct. 10th

8:30-10:303-5 Reading Team Meeting•Digging Deeper Into the DRA•TCRWP RUOS Video/Teaching•Strategy Discussion

11:00-1:003-5 Writing Team Meeting•On Demand Writing Analysis continued•Sorting WW Mentor Texts

Monday: Oct. 11th 8:30-10:30K-2 Writing Team Meeting•On Demand Writing Analysis continued•Sorting WW Mentor Texts

Wednesday: Oct. 13th

8:30-10:30K-5 Word Study Meeting•No Excuse recap/review•WTW Spelling Inventory- Analysis steps•Planning for our work this year

11:00-1:00K-2 Reading Team Meeting•Digging Deeper Into the DRA•RUOS 1 Revamp•If time... RUOS videos from TCRWP

[1]

NOTESOctober 2010

From the Literacy Coach

AND THEY’RE OFF!Whew! We’ve BOLTED out of the gate.

What a month! I am sensitive to how much you

have been away from your kids and with

assessments like DRA and MAP, how little you

might feel like you’ve been able to teach. As I can, I

am going to try and consider this, moving forward

with PD and other meetings in October.

Our curriculum teams are making real headway

in discussing literacy curriculum while planning for

implementations and next steps. ALL of the

meetings are meant to make us collectively better

at what we do. Here are some celebrations:

• We are seeing the benefit of our hard work on

the spiraled curriculums!

• We have and are beginning to use maps and

road plans for what to teach (UOS), what our kids

need (DRA, MAP, WTW) and how to teach (Look

Fors).

• We are learning collaboratively from each

other. There is a sense of common cause.

• Discussions around OUR kids rather than MY

kids are popping up and will have a long-range

impact on student learning.

Now turn the page...

Meetings, Meetings,

Meetings... see page 2 for an October

“Meetings Schedule”

Jen MunnerlynAmerican Community School of Abu Dhabi

CELEBRATIONS!

NEW BOOKS!PAGE 3

ERD SCHEDULE FOR THE YEAR:

KG2-5 AND EARLY CHILDHOOD

PAGE 4

[3]

K-2 and 3-5 STAFF Writing Celebrations!

Tuesday, October 19th 3:30-4:30 ES MPR

Last year we

started holding Staff Writing

Celebrations in grades 3-5 following

every unit. As part of our

implementation it was very valuable to

spend time talking as a grade level

team about how the unit was going

and then to move into vertical teams to

discuss the different work within the

spiral. This year we will be celebrating

in both the upper and the lower

elementary. (For grades K-2 this

meeting is part of our collaborative

goal work in writing this year.)

I will provide some thinking sheets

for you to use.

For our meeting on Oct. 19th, each

teacher needs to bring the following:

• 1-2 samples of student writing

from Unit 1 (LC) and any Pam Allyn

writing work if you have it. (You can

either bring final product work or work

in progress.)

• A chart you used in the unit and

found particularly helpful.

In addition, I will provide time for

you to talk about the RUOS you’ve

worked on so far with your vertical

teams. If there is something in

particular you want to show from

reading, please bring it. :-)

The professional books shown were ordered for the “Professional Literacy Library”. They can be checked out using the sign-out sheet to the left of the tall cupboard near the big book racks in my office.

I will profile and use these books in Curriculum Team meetings throughout the year.

NEW BOOKS! MEETINGS:

“Framed within the context of writing workshop, the book examines the reasons for reading student work and provides various methods for helping students improve as writers. Formative assessment presents teachers with multiple opportunities to read student work, with a clear focus, thereby supporting students in all stages of the writing process.” (Grades 2-8)

“What’s Essential in Teaching Young Writers?...detailed units of study on poetry, nonfiction, and fiction writing that provide demonstration of the writing workshop process...ideas for classroom organization and where to purchase materials, suggestions for publishing student work...” (Grades KG2-2)

... the inherent motivational value in comics, explains the many different graphic genres, and shares thoughtful and compelling ways to teach comprehension, vocabulary, and even fluency with graphica.

(Grades 3-5)

Please remember: Quarter 2 Report Card Correlations for Reading and Writing are due to Jen on Oct. 14th.Jen’s PROFESSIONAL BLOG

Communicating in consistent ways allows the coach to keep teachers (and the principal) up to date on the work across the school. At ACS, Jen relies on monthly newsletters and her blog: www.literacybytes.com to get information out there.

4

A coach keeps the plates spinning... (some examples from ACS)

1. Assessments:

• Giving

• Analyzing

• Using to Differentiate Instruction

2. Ordering Supplies:

• What?/When?/Why?• Keeping it all organized and accounted for.

3. Coaching In: • Identifying Need• Coaching/Following Up/Planning Next

Steps• Surveys about the effectiveness of PD

4. Implementation:

• 3-Year Plan

• Training, Trying, Revising, Maintaining

• Curriculum Reviews

• Reporting Expectations

• Parent Education

• Curriculum Calendars

• Unit Plans

• Outside Professional Development

• Instructional Minute Guidelines

Samples of some of our documents can be found on pages 6-10 and on Jen’s blog: www.literacybytes.com

Coaching Resources We’ve Found Useful

One of the most important jobs of the coach is to continually return to the tasks we are working on to ask... Are we done? What else needs to happen? Where do we go from here? And to remind teachers to use the systems and procedures already in place.

Generally at ACS, the coach makes efforts to return to these areas:

Books/DVDs: The Literacy Coach’s Desk Reference and The Literacy Coach’s Survival Guide by Cathy A. TollLiteracy Coaching: The Essentials by Katherine CaseyResponsive Literacy Coaching: Tools for Creating and Sustaining Purposeful Change by Cheryl DozierA Principal’s Guide to Leadership in the Teaching of Writing by Lucy Calkins

Websites: Choice Literacy: www.choiceliteracy.com Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse: www.literacycoachingonline.orgNational Staff Development Counsel: www.nsdc.org

Conferences/Workshops:Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Summer Institutes

NESA Literacy Coaching Cohort with Carrie EkeyUniversity of Washington’s Center for Educational Leadership Summer Coaching Institute

5

Created by Jen Munnerlyn Written April 22, 2009 Updated April 12, 2010 and April 21, 2010 (following the K-5 RT Meeting) Updated Oct. 1, 2010 (following the Fall DRA Window)

American Community School of Abu Dhabi KG1-5 DRA2 Guidelines

Rationale for this common assessment tool:

DRA2 is a school-wide systemic common assessment that is important not just for classroom instructional purposes but also for school-wide data collection about student learning. That data helps the school determine the effectiveness of the reading program (RUOS) school-wide in a general way. Often there are trends reported that help grade levels or even a school to know better where to focus instruction. It is used for both summative and formative assessment. (From Carrie Ekey, Feb. 12, 2009) KG2-5 Timeline for Administration: (See DRA Cycle for more detail) KG2 Grades 1-5 Fall September- Word Analysis September- DRA Mid-Year January- DRA N/A Spring May-DRA May-DRA

1. The DRA test will be administered 2 times per year in September and May in grades 1-5 and in January and May in KG2.

2. Students will be tested “where they are” according to DRA data from previous years and classroom information.

3. If a student is nearing the end of year benchmark prior to the final DRA date, follow the directions for “breaking the cycle” on the DRA Cycle page.

DRA Word Analysis Timeline: (See Additional Documents attached.)

KG1 May DRA Window • Tasks 1-4 (As an information gathering tool to pass to KG2.)

KG2 Beginning in Sept. and continuing throughout the year as needed.

• Tasks 1-4 (as needed based on KG1 results) • Tasks 5-11

Grade 1 Beginning in Sept. and continuing throughout the year as needed.

• Tasks 5-11 (re-administered/coupled with direct teaching to any who still need support from KG2) Beginning Fall 2011.

• Other tasks as directed by the DRA2 Tests in Sept. and May.

Grades 2-3

As needed throughout the year.

Teachers will administer the corresponding WA tasks, according to the DRA2 results in Sept. and May.

IMPORTANT! Prior to testing- be sure to thoroughly read the DRA “Administration Guidelines” found in the DRA2 Teacher’s Guide . The information found in this document is in addition to the information found in the Teacher’s Guide. It is important that you are familiar with ALL of this information prior to testing students at ACS.

D R A KD R A K -- 3 t e s t s w i l l n o w o n l y b e c o p i e d o n 3 t e s t s w i l l n o w o n l y b e c o p i e d o n P a l e P a l e

Y e l l o wY e l l o w p a p e r t o e n s u r e u s e o f t h p a p e r t o e n s u r e u s e o f t h e c o r r e c t v e r s i o ne c o r r e c t v e r s i o n

SAMPLES FROM ACS. CONTACT US IF

YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING FULL DOCUMENTS or have your own to share.

Assessment Administration Guidelines

Process for individual student analysis...

1. Read over the “On Demand” piece.

2. Turn to the TCRWP tool and flip until you SEE a sample that looks similar to the one you have.

3. Read the description provided and verify your sample fits this “level”.

4. Repeat 1-3 until you find a level where the sample fits.

5. Record the level on the recording sheet.

6. Find the TCRWP level on the BCH continuum stages.

7. Write 1-2 celebrations about what this student is doing well based on the “level” and the continuum stage.

8. Write 1 area where this child could benefit from targeted teaching in WW.

9. Record the level/stage/ and check areas for celebration/future work on the On-Demand Class Data sheet for that student.

10. Move on to another student.

What you will need...• TCRWP Narrative Writing Assessment Tool.• BCH Writing Continuum- 2010 version• Fall “On Demand” Writing from your class • Class set of On-Demand Recording sheet• 1 whole-class On-Demand Data sheet

REMEMBER!We want this assessment become quick and easy to do.

Don’t spend days on the analysis.Your time is better spent working on writing workshop

itself. This is just a snapshot of one day and one time. It’s value will come from comparing it to another day and another time.

On-Demand Writing Analysis

1

2

Analysis:! Review your celebrations. Pat yourself on the back. :-)! Review areas where you need to target teach. Plan for individual/small

group/large group work. ! Communicate with your team; realizing you might have different needs

based on what your individual students show you.! Return to teaching the WW units with a clearer picture of who your students

are as writers.

3

Jen Munnerlyn, September 21, 2010

6

ELEMENTARY 3-YEAR LITERACY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Updated March 25, 2010 by Jen Munnerlyn Year Lower ES

KG2-2 Upper ES

G3-5 2008-09 Honest Inquiry- Where are we and where can we got to improve student learning? Beginning work with groups- WW 3-5 weekly

meeting with team reps. K-3 DRA group, and KG2- WS/Phonics team to establish relationships, goals, and to make enough initial plans to begin the year.

Reading (K-3) Lydia, Laura, Maryke, Shachon

K-3 Collaborative Reading Goal

Writing 3-5 Ken, Alison, Marisa

3-5 Collaborative Writing Goal

LA Review Work: Aug-Nov. 2009 Lydia, Laura, Maryke, Ken/Shachon, Alison, Marisa

Writing KG-2 Heather, Betsy, Kim

Reading (4-5) Stan, Jared

Including G. 4-5 DRA2 Work

2009-10 *Regie Routman PD focus **Summer PD TCRWP 5 ACS teachers to NYC for Writing Institute

Beginning Stages of Word Study Curriculum work + Structured Word Inquiry= Carrie Ekey to help

Josie, Emily, Farah, Nandita, Scott, Chris (Karen)

Writing (KG2-2)

Reading (3-5)

Reading Workshop- KG2-2 Writing Workshop- 3-5 *Teachers vet and secure new ESLA Curriculum performance indicators in Reading (KG-2) and Writing (3-5) by 6/2011

2010-2011 *Transferable Skills ERD PD focus **Summer PD TCRWP 5 ACS teachers to NYC for Reading Institute

Learning/Planning Stages of Word Study

NESA Winter Institute in Doha for Structured Word Inquiry workshop with Pete Bowers- WS Team to attend/begin working with SWI Semester 2

2011-12 Word Study and Structured Word Inquiry ERD PD focus ** Summer PD 3-5 Teachers work with Pete Bowers in Canada over a weekend.

Reading Workshop- Refining Instructional Practice Writer’s Workshop- Refining Instructional

Practice Writing Workshop- KG2-2 Reading Workshop- 3-5 *Teachers vet and secure new ESLA Curriculum performance indicators in Reading (KG-2) and Writing (3-5) by 6/2012

Word Study YEAR

• Pete Bower’s presents 2-hour virtual “kick off” and Skypes with WS members to “coach in” on SWI: Structured Word Inquiry

• WS Curriculum Team leads out on using SWI with other teachers and plans for parent education.

ACS K-12 Professional Learning Focus: Designing units using UbD, Focus on Stage 3-Learning Activities (Instructional tools such as Differentiation), Assessment for and of Learning, Data Collection and Analysis, Grading and Reporting, Curriculum Reviews and Implementation

American Community School of Abu Dhabi, UAE 2010-11

Professional Development Plan

7

SCHOOL-WIDE AGREEMENTS

8

COACHING DOCUMENTS

9

SAMPLE POLLS/SURVEYS

FALL 2010

WINTER 2010

10

Jen uses www.polldaddy.com to quickly and easily create polls and surveys.

Enter a search term...

Result Details

Question

01How have the 2009-2010 ERD sessions supported your ability toimplement our literacy initiatives? (Workshop approach, K-2 Reading; 3-5Writing Units of study implementations, developmental teaching,responding to student's needs,authentic and ongoing assessment, etc.)(Mandatory)

Answers

20100%

Skips

00%

4,784,694Better insight of the big picture of what our school goals are.

Sunday, Feb 7th

10:57PM

4,709,595They have provided ideas on conferencing with students regarding their reading.

Monday, Feb 1st

2:51AM

4,709,567

They have helped me get more familiar with the school's philosophy and approach towards the literacy initiatives.They have also provided me with the resources to implement these initiatives.

Monday, Feb 1st

6:18AM

4,702,270

I have been able to better implement my individual student writing conferences, thanks at least in part to the ERDreading conference suggestions.

Sunday, Jan 31st

6:39AM

4,702,192

The RR sessions have made it practical for me so that I can start applying what I've learned the next day in theclassroom.

Sunday, Jan 31st

6:43AM

4,700,771these workshops have given me the opportunity to discuss different ways of presenting the lessons

Sunday, Jan 31st

1:36AM

4,700,601

I am pleased with Reader's Workshop and the support that I have received to really implement the workshopapproach in my class. ERD mainly focussed on Reader's Workshop

Sunday, Jan 31st

1:04AM

4,694,916

The ERD sessions have given a forum to discuss progress that we are making in all of our classes. We have a placeto discuss areas that are still developing or successes that take place in our classes, then come up withsuggestions to make the successes greater or to improve the developing areas. These suggestions can easily betransitioned into the classroom.

Saturday, Jan 30th

6:24AM

4,694,906

Having the PD information as a point of reference has been helpful in how I've been able to use the workshopapproach in reading. It has kept me more accountable to the structure, while at the same time building myconfidence in an area that I don't feel is my strongest. I also think it has kept me more in tune with the individualreading needs of my kids.

Saturday, Jan 30th

6:18AM

4,691,669

The PD connects directly to my classroom/students which is extremely beneficial. I have enjoyed talking withvertical teams and trying the reading approaches Regie talks about.

Saturday, Jan 30th

2:55AM

4,682,039

I have found the Reggie Routman sessions to be very useful. She is sharing and demonstrating ways to helpstudents improve as readers that are practical in my classroom.

Friday, Jan 29th

4:30AM

1 of 2 10/17/10 9:00 AM

SAMPLE RESULTS

WINTER 2010

11

FALL 2010

NAME- TITLE- SCHOOL EMAIL CONTACT SCHOOL WEBSITE AND/OR BLOG ADDRESS

Jane Shartzer- Principal, AM.COM SCL OF ABU DHABI

jane-shartzer@acs.sch.ae www.acs.sch.ae

Jen Munnerlyn- Coach, AM COM SCHL OF ABU DHABI

jen-munnerlyn@acs.sch.ae www.literacybytes.com

CONTACT INFORMATION:

NOTES FROM THE WORKSHOP:

12