Frankston+Heights+Primary+School

Hi everyone- my name is Marianne Robinson. Frankston Heights has a student population of around 235 at present. My principal thought this would be a good opportunity to develolp my leadership skills - something I'm not too sure about as I don't feel confident enough to take such a role as yet. My current role includes full-time classroom responsibilities ( Prep) and I also wear the hat of Literacy Coordinator. Our Junior School was refurbished last year to be open plan. This has it's own challenges and rewards. The children have adapted well to the new set up and the back-up we are able to offer each other on a hourly basis is a real plus in our teaching environment. As always being hit with new information is exciting and daunting! Feeling very overwhelmed and not at all sure how I will be able to utilise the new coaching ideas into my role. At this stage I will be incorproating coaching into my classroom.
 * __Day 1__**

__**Day 2**__ The 'Vision' cards were new and it was surprising to hear the just how much comment and discussion they invoked. While adults have some different learning needs the basic ones are the same - engagement, connectedness, shared context and understandings. The 'team' model is not just about sitrting and recieving information. Everything is related back to our own setting and stage of learning. Readings have a point and either rubrics or questions to promote fact acquistion and deeper understandings to assist us to add and apply what we know. Personally I find it challenging to 'see' the questions. The question frameworks well be a great to get staff thinking about their practices and to decide which way forward is best for us a a whole school. Today's session seems to have promted more questions than answers at this stage. Will there be the opportunity to apply 'coaching' in practical terms? What will coaching look like in my setting? Am I perceptive enough to facilitate a change in others? How do I make time for personal reflection? Definitely feeling overwhelmed and inadequate....but coaching here I come!

__**Day 3**__ Feeling a bit more confident after today as I've been introduced to some different coaching models. Participating in the Coaching Converstations was very worthwhile. Having seen 'how to' and being given the opportunity to 'do' straight away helps me to get a better handle on the whole concept. Being given the opportunity for some professional reading time and then discuss is so beneficial. There is always something else to do, so I really enjoyed being able to read and discuss those new ideas. I have been able to discuss some ideas during team meetings, however at this stage I am focussing on using my coaching strategies on my students. I am very much still getting a handle on how to apply what I am learning but am feeling more positive at this point.

__**2011**__ I'm really excited to be back at school with a new challenge. This year I'm taking a Yr 3/4. Full-time in the classroom again but feeling more confident about my coaching role within the classroom. Discussing the BBR program with Simone (Hastings Primary) has helped me to focus on an area for my coaching. After discussions with my other members of staff we have decided to implement the BBR program within our own classrooms as well as in conjunction with the Junior school. At this stage we are focussing on protocols for reading with a Buddy with directed focusses for reading goals. Our hope is that in Term 2 we will be able to have the 3/4 students select and work on their own goals. We are still discussing how goal setting will work with the students in Years P-2.

__**30/4/11**__ Beyond Buddy Reading Program After our last session and chatting with Simone from Hastings Primary I was really interested in the Beyond Buddy Reading Program. I discussed the possibilities with the Junior and Middle school teams and the decision was made to implement this program in our areas. The benefits were potentionally very exciting!! We had a number of new enrolements in Junior school at the start of the year. These students brought with them some personal issues that were effecting not only their learning but also those around them. Added to this was a concern that many of our students had little or no support for learning within the home. BBR presented itself as an opportunity to assist Junior school with settling students into the day as well as providing much needed practise for students in both areas. We began 'skilling up' our 3/4's. Each week a new goal and accompanying actions was introduced. Time was allocated to practice recognising these 'actions' and developing appropriate reading procedures with a class buddy. This involved strategies such as sitting hip to hip, looking at your partners book to 'read along' and pointing to words depending upon students level and ability. Weekly sessions with Junior school buddies provided opportunities for all students to practice 'good reading' behaviours. The next step is to introduce modified goals and accompanying actions for junior students. At present 3/4 students will commence revisiting the goals and accompanying actions covered during Term 1. The coaching booklet to guide questions will also be introduced for use during coaching sessions with their Junior school buddy. Further to this a Reflection Journal will also be introduced to support students thinking skills and provide a platform for teachers to guide and promote effective learning strategies.

__**13/5/11**__ Now and Then Reflection Then I thought..... Coaching is for 'experts' in the field. Protocols were set in place for privacy and appropriate ways of critiqing performance. Coaches came into the classroom to observe and make comments / suggestions for improvement. Alternatively 'coachees' observed the 'coach' and implemented changes in their classroom practice. The intentions was that the teacher was lacking and needed to be skilled up - whether directed to or not. I felt daunted by the thought of being a coach.

Now I think... That coaching is a much broader conctept than I first envisioned and I consider it to be a vital tool in teacher PD. I look forward to attending PD and usually come away enthused to incorporate the new ideas and activities for my classroom. However, everyday pressures that we all face often means that the imputus is lost and I find myself reverting back to what I know - literally I don't have the time or energy to put into self-directing improfement in the long term. Bassically it's hard to change old habits - even if I want too! I can't be the only teacher who finds this. As a learner I need ongoing support through encouragement and feedback to facilitate the changes I am trying to bring about - and the time to do it. From this perspective I feel more comfortable with the idea of being a coach to my peers but still not overly confident with my ability to complete the task. However, the implications for coaching my students takes on new meaning and direction. Jill's book 'Who's Learning Is It?' has focussed my attention on the importance of coaching my students to being more independent learners and thinkers. I've begun handing the classroom back to my students - slowly. I'm amazed at just how many decisions I make for them that they should be in charge of.

From Maureen: Hi Marianne - the 'implementation hump' you talk about is common with any professional learning for teachers - it reflects the pull of existing culture and the fact that it does take effort to travel a different road to what we know. I think you should be incredibly proud of a) your insights into coaching (developing a broader concept of what it might be was definitely one of our learning intentions); b) your actions to explore 'agency' with your learners and what you have learned about both yourself and them as a result of this; and c) the fact that you are trialling a very contemporary approach to literacy coaching and learning through beyond buddy reading. By drawing from both the Canadian Beyond Buddy Reading and Jill's Book, you are being innovative and constructing your own approach rather than simply following the instructions of a perceived expert. Taking the time to explore these new practices with your class is a pathway to developing professional confidence - I was wondering what kind of support is possible for you post-program? Were you able to form a Learning Circle to provide you with the encouragement and feedback you need - because your assessment that without such support we tend to revert to old habits because it takes energy to forge a new path was spot on! Please let us know if we can help with this as you are doing some great work.