School+-+Brighton+Beach+PS

25/2/2011 It is really time now for me to update a little of my thinking. This will be the first time I have actually had a chance to sit down and look at our page. I feel guilty about it being a little overdue. So I have just returned from day 6 and 7 and when I look back I have really learnt so many new and exciting ideas. **I used to think** I was unsupported in my 'Literacy Coaching' last year as I was full time in the class and had no time release to 'coach'. **Now I think** after the 7 days and 1 hour of supported time each week I am going to be able to pass on some of the wonderful learning I have done with my peers and class. I am also very excited to have another member of staff training in the next group, as Sara has moved to Elwood PS. I believe to have the biggest impact on staff requires leadership support and having another member of staff on the same page is very exciting. It is only week 4 of school and I am very much only in the beginning stages of coaching at BBPS, however I am looking forward to 2011 and the exciting adventures ahead. Heidi

Heidi,

Beginning the year with such excitement is a very positive way to start 2011 and influence others. As a full time classroom teacher last year did you have the opportunity of trialling coaching conversations with anyone? (staff or students) I wonder who might you have a conversation with, about the knowledge you have shared, of the impact of leadership, on teacher development? Joan

Hi Joan, Last year I trialled a few coaching conversations with a graduate teacher I was mentoring for VIT. They were successful and the feedback she gave to me was positive too. I have also shared many ideas across the other year levels such as Inanimate Alice and I think some are trialling this as I write and I have asked them to give me feedback as well. Last yr I also used some of the ideas Ester shared about not giving students a mark, but rather just a comment to begin with and this experience was amazing (all of the Gr 5 teachers tried this with the same result) the kids actually looked at the the feeback and not just their score immediately. This forced them to reflect on what it meant to them and how they could improve the next time. At the moment in my class (Gr 1) I am using lots of Jill Flack's ideas, such as the Moving On chart, choices and options and What Makes a Good learner, I trying to prepare my kids to eventually start up the Buddy Reading Program, as yet I am undecided to do it just within my room or ask a yr level or 2 above us to join in too. So much thinking for a Friday afternoon!!!!

Heidi

Day 8- As a leader in Literacy for the junior school I have been able to work with the P-2 team in slowing changing the way we run our take home reading program. We are still in the very beginning stages of this program and we are already seeing big changes in the attitudes to reading from parents, teachers and students. This has also been feed back to staff who are now also trialling this in the upper year levels. Although timetabling and leadership support still has a way to go I am more than positive that I can hold literacy coaching conversations with staff when the chance arises. I am looking towards implementing the buddy reading program in the junior school and maybe even into a buddy writing program- who knows what the future will hold. From this professional development I have learnt that Literacy coaching requires strong, staff relationships first, leadership support, time and trust from colleges to share their teaching and reflect on the process. It is a non-threatening session that draws all the information from the teacher and it is not at all providing instructional coaching. I have learnt that even without the full support and time from leadership I have still been able to make great changes with my own teaching at the teaching of others in my area of P-2.

From Maureen: Heidi - what a fantastic performance of understanding your reflection on what you have learned is ...it mirrors some major findings from literacy coaching research we have been doing with five of the most effective sites for secondary literacy coaching. Without exception, they all said exactly what you have learned - relationships, leadership, time and trust and opportunities to share and reflect. Congratulations and your plans for the future sound wonderful - I'm really interested in the changes you made to the take home reading program - I was talking to a Prep on Sunday night (someone who has adored being read to over the past few years) and she informed me that she now hates reading - when I looked shocked and probed a bit more it turned out that it was the take home reader she hated. So would love to know more about your approach.