Who are you as a literacy leader now? I know you will have been working on creating your Glog to introduce yourself as a literacy leader. I'd like you think about someone you know that you admire as a literacy leader. What are their characteristics? Describe that person. Then think about what you do now to be a literacy leader, albeit potentially an unacknowledged one in your setting. Describe that. Relate those thoughts to the readings for this week.
I have thought about what I do as one and what I would like to get better at. I do know that I try to innovate in my teaching by using new tools that are available to support the learning of my students. I try to model being a learner by learning new technologies, and by keeping up with research. In my setting, that is important. But I also see literacy leaders in the schools I visit as well, leaders who consistently look to make sure that all students are learning and who are not afraid to change what they do if it will support learning. The International Reading Association has developed standards for literacy leaders. The links to those standards is posted on D2L. Take a look at them. If you are a reading specialist candidate, look at those standards. If you are not a reading specialist candidate, I have posted the standards for teachers in elementary and secondary schools. Unpack the standards in terms of the L&T reading for this week. How do they relate to what the reading says literacy leaders who are ethical and critical do?
I look forward to reading both about you and reading your analyses. Be sure to respond to each other in the comments to my post as well as to me.
SB
Right now, I’m having trouble considering myself much of a “literacy leader.” Then again, I’m one of the only people in my school who has an interest in literacy instruction, so perhaps that’s the first step. As I wrote in my Glog that you’ll see tomorrow, I do feel like I have a decent foundation for becoming a literacy leader. I’m gaining more teaching experience while simultaneously continuing my education in the field of literacy. I’m very good about collaborating with my colleagues, and I feel like this semester will help me get better at stepping into the role of a literacy leader at work and in potential future jobs. I hope that I will be a literacy leader who “demonstrate[s] proficiency in the foundational knowledge of reading and writing; curriculum and instruction, assessment and evaluation;… [and] creating literate environments” (L&T 13). This year, I specifically asked my principal if I could teach our “literacy for life” class that is designed for incoming 9th graders who failed their 8th grade reading test. It’s been several years since we’ve had the steady presence of a reading specialist take on that role, and I want to set a good standard for the class while helping my students. I am also very interested in finding colleagues to work with to help support literacy development in the “content area” classes, especially since even the English teachers express helplessness with students who struggle with reading and writing. In doing so, I want to focus on collaboration with the teachers who are both on and off that team, in an attempt to live up to the suggestion in L&T chapter 2 that literacy leaders “[model] a democratic respect for the sharing of power, voice, and responsibility” (23). We have had a lot of professional development lately, so I would like to encourage teachers to take the old and new things they are trying in their classrooms (as many of them have been) and tweak them to have a better literacy-promoting focus, since it’s important for literacy leaders to “discover and appreciate the good that already exists in [teachers’] experiences, talents, skills, and ability” (35).
ReplyDeleteWhen you asked us to think of someone we admire as a literacy leader, I actually thought of a local teacher who’s not too much older than I am. She recently finished the reading specialist program at OU. One of the things I admire most about her is the way she balances the different aspects of being a literacy leader. She continues her education and works directly with students who could use her expertise, but she also maintains a leadership role in terms of influencing the literacy instruction at her school. She is very knowledgeable and is incredibly good at differentiating the nature of her instruction with her students as well as her working relationships with her colleagues.
DeleteAccording to the IRA standards, reading specialists are required to “provide literacy intervention instruction designed to meet the specific needs of students,” which aligns well with the collaborative framework outlined in L&T. This framework encourages literacy leaders to “create dynamic learning environments honoring the natural rhythm of learning, reflection, and renewal,” which is similar to the differentiation described in the standards (9). The IRA standards also specify that specialists “provide coaching and other professional development support that enables teachers to think reflectively about improving student learning and implementing various instructional programs and practices.” L&T portrays ethical and critical literacy leadership as “democratic, antioppressive, and transformative, wherein all stakeholders’ voices are valued and nurtured as learners and leaders,” rather than dictating that teachers implement new strategies without having a voice or without first thinking critically about their current practices (8). The standards also specify that literacy leaders may take on “additional responsibilities that require them to work with systemic change at the school and district levels.” These responsibilities require reading specialists to make their literacy leadership “integral to place- and community-based education, whereby teachers and students work and learn together as coinvestigators of relevant issues and concerns” (8). To be an ethical and critical literacy leader, one should differentiate according to students’ and teachers’ needs, maintain a democratic environment, and respond to the particular needs of the school or district.
Angela, I understand what you mean about having trouble regarding yourself as a literacy leader. It is difficult to perceive myself that way when I am teaching with educators who have been teaching for 30 years. I sometimes feel silly telling them what I have learned in class, worried that it may get an eyeroll, especially from seasoned teachers.
DeleteI definitely feel like collaborating is the first step toward becoming an effective and successful literacy leader. That is so awesome that you are teaching the Literacy for Life course. Sounds like such a great opportunity to create a learning environment that will engage your readers!
I sometimes struggle seeing myself as a literacy leader because my degree isn't in the reading field. While working on my Glog, I realized that I am a literacy leader in my workplace.....I just didn't see it at first. I'm excited to learn from you ladies this semester!
DeleteI also agree with not seeing myself as a literacy leader. I honestly never thought of teachers being literacy leaders. I ignorantly have said to myself in the past, "Well when I get my reading specialist degree...I'll be able to coach people and help them." I think it begins now seeing yourself that way. We all have amazing things to offer and different views. I love that not everyone is early childhood in this class. I find it fascinating hearing you talk about high school ideas! Keep it up!
DeleteI too struggle seeing myself as a leader of any kind at the school where I'm currently teaching. I'm the newest teacher in my grade level and I've only been teaching 2 and a half years, so I still feel like such a baby in my field. One of the wonderful things about working with my team at my school is that they never make me feel inexperienced--they always help me to see how much I'm an integral part of what we're doing. I love that learning about literacy leadership is helping me to understand that even though I (and it looks like most of us here) am relatively new to teaching, I am still a literacy leader. And Angela, I am SO excited about your Literacy for Life class. I teach 8th grade and it breaks my heart to see so many students fail that reading test, despite all us middle school teachers' best efforts. I would love to get something like that going here in Shawnee. I may see if I can drop some hints at our next alignment meeting! Thank you for that great idea!
DeleteI admire my former high school English teacher, who also happened to teach my most favorite class, Reading for Pleasure, and still a close friend. I really admire the way she constantly educates herself on the policy of education. She also had this way of reaching every single student and making them feel important and valued. I felt that she worked to create a learning environment that was engaging and encouraged critical thinking (compared to all those paper/pencil classes) I like how she viewed herself as not only an educator, but also a learner too. She would always tell us that she was learning from us as well.
ReplyDeleteAs far as what I do to be a literacy leader at this present time, I would say I do a lot of collaborating, sharing, and conversing with my peers. I make it a point to discuss with my team what I felt worked or did not work for my class. We talk about different strategies or what worked in each of our classrooms. I also like to share resources. One colleague in particular, is very open to hearing some of the research that I have read in previous classes, as well as trying a more "out of the box," approach to teaching reading and writing. I like that I am able to converse with her about different lessons, what worked, what didn't, and what to change.
In the Literacy Leadership Handbook, chapter 2 discusses the need to literacy professionals to have experience, real authentic experiences within the classroom setting. I love that! I think that is so important, and I feel like that is something that I strive to do. Shortly after that in the text, the authors mention collaboration. Again, I feel like that is an extremely important quality for all educators to have, but imperative for a literacy coach.
Wepner, Strickland, and Quatroche, discuss the 4 dimensions that successful Literacy Leaders possess; intellectual, emotional, social, and moral, all of which I feel as that I am working toward a stronger stance in each area. As a reading specialist in training, I am exposed to a number of research articles that have benefited me greatly as an educator, and staying up to date on current research is important. I am also becoming more aware of my own strengths and weakness. WSQ also make sure to point out the importance of collaboration, which I believe is one of my strong areas, especially working with my teammates. The last of the 4 dimensions is the moral dimension. This dimension focuses on accountability and conscience. As a current educator, this is something that I practice everyday. I am held accountable for how my students preform and helping them to be successful within the classroom. I use what happens in my classroom to help better my practices.
The reading standards discuss how it is the responsibility of the reading specialist to working with small groups of students, support teachers, and developing and leading school districts to practice effective literacy instruction. The expectations of a reading specialist align with what the text discusses, encouraging reading specialists to engage struggling readers, work with other teachers and administration with the site, and continue to be aware of current research and practices within the world of literacy.
Jacqueline, your post is one of the reasons I'm looking forward to learning from peers who are working as reading specialists. I love working with children who are learning to read and write, but I don't have the opportunity to work firsthand as much as I'd like.
DeleteI feel that I support my staff and their students, but I'm worried that I may not be collaborating as much as I should.
i think your right, literacy leaders need practice in the classroom. This to me is what separates the good literacy coaches from the bad. If someone tries to correct or help me with my teaching, but hasn't been the classroom for years or worked with students, I have a leery feeling. I think, "they have no idea what I'm dealing with." Once I have my reading specialist degree, I want to remember this. I need to immerse myself in the classroom so I have true understanding of students and teachers.
DeleteWhen I began creating my Glog, I realized that I have never thought of myself as a literacy leader. I supervise teachers in a child care setting, so at times I feel like a mother, referee, and cheerleader.....but never a literacy leader. After I thought about how I spend my days I see that I am a literacy leader in ways that weren't obvious to me. I model reading to children when I share group time, I work on age appropriate literacy lessons for toddlers and twos, and I read research articles about literacy development in children.
ReplyDeleteWhat spoke to me in the L & T reading was the importance of collaboration, modeling respect, and sharing responsibility. I was struck by the statement that we need to transfer our focus from "how will they test?" to developing student thinking. I think that is absolutely critical.
The person I admire as a literacy leader is my high school English teacher. She introduced me to books and writers I had never heard of, and spent time in conversation with us about books, authors, and how they made us feel. Mrs. Thompson is also the teacher that encouraged me to begin writing.
I never thought of myself as a literacy leader either. Most days, I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water just being a new teacher, not to mention a mama, a wife, a friend, etc. I'm so glad to see that I'm not alone and I really look forward to some great discussions in this class!
DeleteJulie, that comment about refocusing really struck me too!!! There is way to much emphasis on testing. It is killing the love of learning and the want to learn. I also think that it prevents students from being able to be creative and think more critically.
ReplyDelete1. Who are you as a literacy leader now?
ReplyDeleteAs a literacy leader I am fairly new in this role and tend to lean on seasoned literacy leaders to help guide me and to help me understand what that role should look like. I am constantly trying to stretch myself and to have a more prominent role in our department. I have started to guide and allow myself to be a person to lean on for the new teachers and I am constantly making sure they feel supported. I also have made sure to support our new Literacy Resource teacher and provide her with strategies and a shoulder to lean on. I have helped in the creation of the remediation program for both the ninth grade team and the tenth grade team. Finally, as a literacy leader I have tried to put myself on the committees that I feel are making a huge difference at our school. I think that the Freshmen Transition Committee is unbelievably important for a school to have since they are our most timid students, and the ones that need the most guidance. I am also on the Sophomore Advisory Team because they don't seem to have the most focus or thought put into their advisory board, I also think that as a literacy leader I need to be putting myself into the different communities at my school. I am also a literacy leader in my classroom by constantly trying new activities and trying to push myself with using technology and to push my students to rethink their curriculum.
2. Describe a Literacy Leader that you admire.
The literacy leader that I admire strives to break out of the box that school seems to put her in and strives to always be an advocate for the students. She created her own curriculum and way of measuring the students' success and allowed students to own their literacy progression in her program. She empowered her students to succeed and fight for themselves, and to set higher goals and achieve more. This was accomplished through her endless ways of recreating an assignment to allow every student a differentiated way of expressing themselves and producing their own published produces that showcased their knowledge. She allowed students to dictate their own learning and created a classroom that was completely student-focused and teacher facilitated.
3. IRA Standards and Reading
The standards talked about how Reading Specialist need to support students' learning inside and outside the classroom. In L&T Ch. 1 they discuss RTI and how as teachers/reading specialist need to reevaluate the information being taught in the classroom to better evaluate how intervention and help needs to be given to the students. The standards also talk about providing teacher learning support and coming together with teachers to help them better understand the research, as well as, the strategies that could be support them. In L&T Ch. 2, it discussed "using systems thinking, literacy leaders are able to see the whole school as a learning community and its interrelated parts,"(23). As a literacy leader we have to be able to see ourselves in all the different communities within the school to be able to provide effective leadership. We don't want to be a literacy dictator, but an integral part of the school. Finally, in the same chapter it says, "Through realignment,we are helping people grow into their own mastery,"(23). This should be at the forefront of when we are trying to put into place new professional development that sometimes you don't have to reinvent the wheel, but you have to just refocus and "realign" what is already in place. You need to help the educators to see their place in the working machine or to see how they can better become effective in their current roles.
Who are you as a literacy leader now?
ReplyDeleteSince I’m not working, I will reflect on what type of literacy leader I was when I was in the classroom. I don’t know that honestly I ever thought of my self as true literacy leader. I was a leader in other aspects, mostly behavior management and lead my school in that aspect; PBIS leadership and professional development leader. As a teacher in literacy leadership, I collaborated with my teammates. My organization of my literacy program was something others would implement in their class. I used a lot of shared/model reading approaches that other teachers would observe at times.
What are their characteristics of an admired literacy leader? Describe that person.
This person was able to personally talk to people without ever sounding pompous. I felt comfortable telling her I didn’t understand or needed help. She was also open about areas she didn’t excel at which made her real to me. She did a good job highlighting peoples talents. You felt good about yourself as a teacher when she’d meet with you. She was good at taking data and organizing it. Each week we’d meet with her and administration to discuss the students on our radar. She’d help implement plans and track their progress. I remember specifically having this wall in her office. She’d post the kids names on it that each teacher had put on the radar. Each week we would have to implement our literacy first testing. When that student would pass another level we’d celebrate with our other teammates and move their name up on the list. It was rewarding and fun to see these kids move. We also took pride in seeing our hard work. It kept us all motivated. She could see who still needed help and we’d all collaborate a plan of action.
Then think about what you do now to be a literacy. Describe that.
I am continuously learning about all types of reading aspects. While I’m away from the classroom getting my degree, I’ve made it a top priority to keep up with current trends and policies. Though I may not be practicing in a class, I am constantly reflection on my prior experience and trying to improve.
Unpack the standards in terms of the L&T reading for this week. How do they relate to what the reading says literacy leaders who are ethical and critical do?
I really thought the 3 goals from L&T encompass the standards well. Goal #1 (Literacy leaders seek to improve evidence-based literacy pedagogy) It’s important for literacy leaders/reading specialist to be up to date on pedagogy and theories. I really admired my literacy coaches in the past because they hadn’t been removed from the classroom very long. They still understood where I was coming from. Lit. leaders need to understand and help teachers achieve their potential. Goal #2 (literacy leaders seek to improve the performance of all students)It’s important for literacy teachers to be in and out of the classroom. Therefore staying involved in student life, they will understand the struggles teachers go through everyday with ALL students. Since this should be a goal for literacy leaders, they will be able to help teachers in giving feedback on ways to help all students be successful. Goal #3 (Literacy leaders seek to affect school culture) I completely agree administration/literacy leaders affect school culture. Teachers look for guidance from both, therefore they need support and understanding. If adminstration/literacy coach and teachers aren’t on the same page, things will not flow. Cohesion between the two allows for everyone to be open to learning and changing
As a literacy leader now, I work to develop a curriculum in which students are able to explore texts in-depth so that they can connect with them and write thoughtfully and critically about them. I try to research new strategies and lessons as often as possible so that my lessons are more relatable and meaningful for my students. I collaborate with the other LA teachers in my building so that we are aligned and using the same language, and I am coaching a first-year teacher on my grade level. Finally, I work with the other content areas to develop cross-curricular activities and help them incorporate more meaningful writing in their classrooms. I am my building's PBIS Internal Coach this year, and I am hoping to be able to incorporate literacy coaching in this role as well.
ReplyDeleteThe literacy leader that I admire helped me develop me into the teacher I am today. I am alt cert, and when I first started teaching with her, she showed me how to be a caring yet effective teacher. Her love for reading and writing came through her lessons, and her students reflected her enthusiasm. She pushed and challenged all her students. They weren't always happy with her, but they knew she cared and often come back now to thank her.
I thought the L&T reading related well to the IRA standards. I think relationships are the foundation of effective leadership. L&T stated that "school, home, and community partnerships are integral to literacy leadership" (6) and that "learning needs to be the work of--the shared responsibility of--administrators, teachers, and students" (32). I think that once relationships are developed, we as literacy leaders are able to adhere to the IRA standards and effectively help students and teachers. The 5 core strategies outlined on pages 34-35 reflect the IRA standards because it allows us to truly affect school culture positively and improve student performance through teacher collaboration.
I love your last sentence…improve student performance through teacher collaboration. Sometimes that collaboration is the hardest part! I think we are going to learn so much from each other this semester!
Delete1. "Who are you as a literacy leader now?"
ReplyDeleteAs I said in comments to some of the others' posts, before I began this class, I never considered myself a leader of any kind, other than as a classroom manager and a leader of my students. Literacy leader feels like such a weighty, important title. And for me, most days I feel I'm barely keeping my head above water as a reading teacher! Through my reading of the texts, I'm realizing that I am a literacy leader and I have been ever since I first stepped foot into my elementary education classes during my undergrad studies at OBU. I don't just want to teach my students basic subjects to help them pass a standardized test, I want to teach them to love reading, to love learning, to love being a participant in the world around them. I'm so excited to be a part of this class and learn strategies that will help me become a stronger, more efficient literacy leader.
2. "I'd like you think about someone you know that you admire as a literacy leader. What are their characteristics? Describe that person."
This one is a no-brainer for me. I am very close with my aunt, a retired middle school ELA teacher. She's only 42 years old, but she's been forced to retire from her passion, teaching, due to a terminal illness. I used to love watching her in the classroom because she was so real with her kids. She taught with such passion, humor, and enthusiasm, that was it was impossible for her students not to get it and remember it. I can't tell you how many times I sat with her at her desk after school and former students would come in, hug her, and thank her for helping them see the joy in learning and growing as human beings. She never called herself an English teacher or a reading specialist; she introduced herself to her kids as a Tour Guide to Life. Even before I realized I wanted to teach, I knew I wanted to impact the world the way she did. She was an incredible leader in her school and in her community and even though she's not still in the classroom, her leadership continues through her students and through me. If I can be half the literacy leader that she is, I will consider myself to be truly successful in this field.
3. "Think about what you do now to be a literacy leader, albeit potentially an unacknowledged one in your setting. Describe that. Relate those thoughts to the readings for this week."
I believe as a literacy leader, I've taken after my aunt in that I teach on a deeper-than-surface level. When I teach a novel, for instance, I want my students to grow as individuals, and see things from a different point of view. I have been blessed to be employed at a school where my colleagues are really good to each other, never competitive, never catty. We really are a team and we collaborate well and help each other. Never have I seen any of my team members have a "Well, that's not my job" mindset. Those of us in the ELA department will use history lessons and science textbook excerpts to learn to write about non-fiction, and our math teachers have students write about the concepts they're learning in algebra, so they can strengthen their writing skills. I would like to become better at considering myself a leader and not being so afraid to share my opinions and ideas. I loved what Angela said earlier about having a special class at the high school for freshmen who didn't pass the 8th grade reading test. We don't have anything like that at Shawnee and although it would take a lot of courage for me to broach the subject with high school teachers who have been around much longer than I have and who don't know me from Adam, I know that would be something that could really benefit our kids in this community. I would also like to put aside my fear of the new and be willing to try new technology (even though I'm not good at it and it scares me! Ha ha!).
4. "I have posted the standards for teachers in elementary and secondary schools. Unpack the standards in terms of the L&T reading for this week. How do they relate to what the reading says literacy leaders who are ethical and critical do?"
ReplyDeleteObviously, it is vital that literacy teachers/leaders have the foundational knowledge, strategies, and materials to support reading and writing instruction. And absolutely the 3rd standard, assessment, is an important part of literacy leadership as well. But I particularly enjoyed reading the 4th and 5th standards, creating a literate environment and professional development. Those are things that we don't spend as much time considering when we're preparing for our jobs as teachers. I need to make sure that, as I get to know my students, I am constantly collecting information about who they are as individuals and learners, and how I can best meet their needs and keep them excited about reading and learning. I scour garage sales and sales bins constantly, trying to make sure that I have a wide variety of reading materials available for every type of reader. I recently impressed several 8th grade boys by having on my shelves a book called "The 50 Grossest Things on the Planet." I must make sure that I am modeling the practices of a good reader, as well. Recently my ELA team got together and discussed having one free-read day every two weeks and it was mentioned that we (as teachers) must make sure that we aren't taking that time to grade or respond to emails or tidy up. We should be actively reading with our students so they can see that we really walk the walk and practice what we preach. Finally, I understand that I have to carefully plan my lessons to motivate my readers and assist them in becoming life-long readers and learners, and continue to pursue professional development opportunities in order to keep up to date on the constant changes in the educational field that can help me be a better literacy leader.
Sorry my entry was so impossibly long, guys (had to break it up into two parts)! Sometimes I can be quite long-winded…you'll hate that about me, I'm sure, ha ha! I look forward to meeting all of you that I haven't already had the opportunity to meet in Dr. Ruan's class and I look forward to learning so much about how to be a literacy leader in my school! See you Friday! :)