The role of a coach is not to judge or evaluate, even though I know sometimes admin try to put that on coaches, which is too bad.
Can't more be gained from talking to colleagues and learning from each other? This is the role of a coach. I really think everyone suffers when teachers go into their classrooms and teach, and never communicate or share ideas with one another. Everyone learns from each other - coach included. I am a coach, and have 5 years of teaching experience. Much less experience than some teachers I coach. I do not think I have all the answers, and really like collaborating with other teachers. I am also getting my reading specialist credential, so I actually do know a lot about reading and more in detail than many at my school site. I don't think this makes me any "better" than anyone, but I do have a lot of ideas that I like to share. Just because I only have 5 years of teaching experience does not mean that more experienced have nothing to learn from. And likewise, just because I am a Literacy Coach does not mean that I have nothing to learn from other teachers. The best learning comes through collaboration. On 4/8/07, kimberlee hannan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Our literacy coach can demo lessons, coordinate testing stuff, test kids > that miss out, track down information, act as liaison between teacher and > the powers that be. I am an experienced classroom teacher with more > experience than the coach. I have made it very clear to her that if I > need > anything I will ask. Otherwise, I don't want her in my room to make any > judgment calls. I am also head of the department, and can do the same > things she does. > Kim > > On 4/8/07, Deborah Bova <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Being a hateful old biddie of 62, I believe that I am their prize. I > have > > responded in kind to such questions about free days and prizes... using > my > > best Judge Judy voice for the response. :) > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Jan Kammert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "A list for improving literacy with focus on > middle > > grades." <[email protected]> > > Sent: Sunday, April 08, 2007 11:33 AM > > Subject: Re: [LIT] Feedback Desired > > > > > > > I'd like to address the "gave out prizes" part of Chris's post. Some > of > > > the teachers in my building give out prizes for appropriate behavior > in > > > class. I feel as if this is a bribe to get the students to pay > > attention > > > in class and work. I also feel that the more prizes a teacher gives, > > the > > > harder it is for students to pay attention and work without getting > > > prizes. > > > > > > This feels like a very personal issue both to me and to the teachers > who > > > give out the prizes. I have not had much success talking about prizes > > for > > > the students, but I'd love to generate a conversation here. Anyone > else > > > interested in this topic? > > > Jan > > > > > > > > > On Sun, 8 Apr 2007, Chris Knoblaugh wrote: > > > > > >> I am a reluctant "Literacy Coach" who was drafted into > > >> the position by a Principal. I am comfortable with > > >> the analytical aspects of the job, but I am an > > >> introvert who is very uncomfortable with invading the > > >> space of others. > > >> > > >> I am wrestling with lesson modeling. > > >> > > >> I am supposed to go into another teachers' room, and > > >> model a lesson for that teacher using that teacher's > > >> students. > > >> > > >> I asked for the DO resource teacher to model a lesson > > >> for me, so I could learn how to do it. She came into > > >> my class to observe me for a week. At the end of the > > >> week, she was supposed to model. Instead of doing the > > >> lesson, she gave the kids a pep talk about going to > > >> college, completed one exercise with them, and gave > > >> out prizes. It was not helpful, and I do not wish to > > >> emulate that approach. > > >> > > >> Our school brought in a consultant who was supposed to > > >> give a demo lesson. He invited students to sit on > > >> stage, praised them for being selected, did one > > >> exercise with them, and gave out prizes. It looked > > >> familiar. > > >> > > >> I went to a training session. On the last day the > > >> trainer was supposed to model the strategy (reciprocal > > >> instruction for ELL students in social studies). He > > >> gave the kids a pep talk, praised them, did one > > >> exercise with them, and gave out prizes. > > >> > > >> Do you think that is what I am supposed to do? I > > >> haven't received any guidance, and I'm pretty sure I > > >> have become a nuisance for asking questions. When I > > >> asked my colleagues, they said that is what always > > >> happens in demo lessons. > > >> > > >> Do your experiences match that? > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > > >> Be a PS3 game guru. > > >> Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! > > >> Games. > > >> http://videogames.yahoo.com/platform?platform=120121 > > >> > > >> _______________________________________________ > > >> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > >> > > >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > >> > > >> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > >> > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > > > > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > > > > -- > Kimberlee Hannan > Department Chair > Sequoia Middle School > Fresno, CA > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > -- - Heather "The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead." --Clarence Day "While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little good evidence exists that there's any educational substance behind the accountability and testing movement." —Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds "When our children fail competency tests the schools lose funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase funding. " —Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
