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Of the 6 Basic problems encountered in school improvement/reform efforts, I have experienced overload, isolation, and this year, untapped competence. Teachers are constantly bombarded with new initiatives and programs to implement. I have witnessed several teachers over the years "shutting their doors" to do what they think is best, rather than buy in to a new program. Our school is currently in need of change, but there are about 5 million committees that have been created by administration (consisting of mostly the same people), and many teachers are not being given the opportunity to participate in these committees, so their ideas are not being heard.
As a reading specialist or school leader, I would first be sure to provide many opportunities for teachers to volunteer on decision-making committees. I would invite feedback on current practices and ask teachers to share their ideas on what needs to change or what solutions could be tried. I would also attempt to alleviate some of the overload by taking on some of the responsibilities of implementing programs off of teachers- whether by co-planning or co-teaching, if possible.

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This is a tough question, because I think all of the Coaching Activities mentioned in this chapter are valuable! I think each different activity serves a purpose for teachers at different times. For example, when I was a beginning teacher, modeling and co-planning would have been the most important activities for a coach to perform with me because I was inexperienced and lacked the knowledge of how to implement certain strategies to help my students be successful. Now, however, I would prefer for a coach to problem-solve with me to identify ways to improve my instruction or better meet students' needs.

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I have participated in several coaching cycles at both schools where I have worked. At my first school, our literacy coach was also my mentor, so she often helped model new strategies for me. We would briefly meet to discuss a lesson idea or strategy I wanted to implement, she would model the lesson for me, then she would come back and observe me teaching the lesson,  and finally we would meet to discuss what went well, questions I had, and opportunities for growth. The coaching cycles at my new school have been more informal. Once she helped me plan lessons to consolidate Letterland to fit it into our busy schedule, and in that instance we discussed the goal first, she modeled, then I implemented on my own,  and we discussed how it was progressing later on.  I have found both cycles to be helpful in different ways. The coaching instances at my first school were very helpful in transforming my teaching skills, whereas with my new coach it has been more helpful in scheduling and planning lessons to fit in a limited time frame.

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I think it's important and would be beneficial for teachers to help with curriculum development. Like most, I don't like being told I have to do something without knowing the reason behind it or WHY I have to add yet another thing on my plate as a teacher. By having teachers give their input of what is going to be taught would be helpful because they are the ones who are in the classroom day in and day out. If I was a reading coach I would have discussions at grade level PLTs with the teachers about the curriculum development.

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I agree that the idea of "baking a cake" is kind of like school change because it does require "all of the ingredients" just like a school needs to be coherent and ready for change.

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OVERLOAD... The school I teach at is a NC STEM school, a part of an AIG program through Duke University, BYOD school, and about anything else you can think of (or so it feels). We are always being told to implement new programs, activities, meet certain requirements, collect data, etc. as I'm sure most schools do but the teachers at my school definitely feel overloaded and burnt out. If I was a literacy coach (and what ours does currently) is help take some of the work load off of the teachers by helping teachers progress monitor in MCLASS, teach a few guided reading groups now and then, create tier plans, etc.

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The coaching activity I think is most important for new teachers would be the modeling of lessons but now as a BT3 with more training and experience with literacy instruction I think that the problem solving is important/helpful. When I have specific students who I am concerned about I will have her read with them and listen to me do guided reading with them so that she can see if there are things I can do differently or things she can implement with the children to help them.

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I have never been formally observed by the literacy coach at my school but she has come into my class my first year to model CAFE strategy lessons for me. That was the year when she was still considered an "interventionist" so she was working with my struggling readers in and out of my classroom. She has done informal walkthroughs with administration to check for the fidelity of Letterland instruction but I never heard any feedback from that.

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Since I am still a BT (BT3 hallelujah) I think the most helpful stance a coach can take is "The Coach as Expert". I definitely think the collaboration is important but even more importantly for new teachers is the help and encouragement from a knowledgable coworker who's passion is to help struggling readers and teachers.

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Ch8, Q3: I think teacher should be involved and provide input for the development of a literacy curriculum, mostly because they are the ones who would have to implement a new program. Classroom teachers know the abilities of a typical student at certain grade-level and can share insights on the feasibility of particular components of a new program. Also, as Bean stated, it’s important for teachers to notice the vertical alignment of some standards as this will help them hone their instruction at their own grade level.

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Knowing that a coach can change stances at any time, which stance do you believe is the most helpful for teachers receiving coaching?

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Have you ever been observed by a coach? What process did he or she follow before and after? Did you find that cycle to be helpful?

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Out of the listed Coaching Activities, which one would you rather have a coach perform with you and why?

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This chapter discusses teacher involvement in curriculum development. How would you approach teacher input and involvement in change?

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Bean cites Byrk and Colleagues comparison of school change to baking a cake. Reflect on this comparison by replying below.

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Ch8, Q2: I would agree with the “baking a cake” analogy because each component (or “essential supports” as Bean calls them) are connected and rely on the others to function properly, just like all ingredients interact in order to produce a delicious cake. For instance, professional capacity comes when staff understand the curriculum and instruction and are able to evaluate and take ownership of it, which often begins with the leadership opening up opportunities for this. A student-centered learning environment begins with the staff who feel they have the capacity and know the instructional techniques to do this. However, I do think that leadership is a crucial element; so maybe it could be seen as the pan that holds all the ingredients together to ensure they end up as a cake!

Interestingly, I believe many of these components are addressed in the Teacher Working Conditions survey that school employees are completing right now.

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Q2: I would rather have a coach problem-solve and co-plan with me. In both of these activities, I’ve found that I prefer to have more people working together as we can brainstorm numerous ideas. Also I find it valuable because people bring different backgrounds and areas of expertise. I would appreciate the creativity and fresh perspective that someone else could bring, especially someone who might not be on my regular PLT team. Sometimes teachers get stuck in a rut, so having someone to discuss possible stopping points or questions, like Bean suggests would be helpful.

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Of the 6 Basic problems encountered in school improvement/reform efforts, which have you experienced? As a reading specialist or school leader, how would you address and/or combat these issues?