Just so you know, I’m in Germany this first week of class, teaching military members and teachers about Educational Research. I’ll have access to email so if you have questions about the syllabus, the assignments for this first 2 weeks, or the readings, send an email. I’ll get back to you when I can—just remember that I am 7 hours ahead of you timewise, and am teaching every evening and during the day on the weekend.
This week, please respond to these questions before you read, and then to each other after you read. For this week, respond to each other by Saturday evening. For Week 2, follow the directions in the syllabus for the blog. We will set up your blogs in the face to face meeting on Saturday, Jan. 27.
The focus for this first week is for you to begin to think about who YOU are as a literacy leader right now and what you think literacy leadership is all about. So, before reading, what do you think are key aspects of literacy leadership? Which of those aspects do you think are ones you have already begun to develop?
When you return to respond to your classmates, integrate what the readings say about being a literacy leader and compare them to what the person said about themselves.
You will be creating an interactive digital “poster” to share with all of us on Jan. 27 that uses print, pictures, audio, video, other graphics. Try to stay away from PowerPoint as your platform unless you have not been involved in other digital platforms. My video was made on my iPad using Explain Everything, but you could make an iMovie or Adobe Spark video, do a Prezi, create a Glog, use Book Creator online to make a book, or some other digital platform. Either upload the link before Jan. 27 or the actual item.
I’ll have Week 2 post up by next Friday, so you might want to visit it before you do the readings for Week 2 to help you focus your reading, and to prepare for our face to face class.
Have a good first week of the semester! I’ll see you on Jan. 27 in Rm. 334 of Collings Hall. Please bring a laptop or iPad or other tablet to class. We will use them to set up blogs and try out other New Literacy tools for you to use for the online portion of the class.
I think that one of the greatest aspects of literacy leadership is collaboration. It seems crucial that a person in a literacy leadership position would have a collaborative mindset. They need to be open to working alongside colleagues in order to reach a common goal. Relatedly, another key aspect is communication. Effective literacy leadership requires open lines of communication with everyone in the building, including both teachers and administration. Professional development and coaching are also very large parts of literacy leadership. In order for these to be successful and practical, a literacy leader should stay up to date on literacy research and have experience in implementing anything that is taught.
ReplyDeleteI feel I have the collaboration and communication aspects well under development. I am currently the leader of my grade level team and we collaborate very well. We also often collaborate with other grade level teams in our building. I also feel I am excellent at communicating with each of my teammates. I do struggle a little with communicating across grade levels and with administration, but I am working on that this year and improving. I feel I am fairly lacking in development in the professional development and coaching areas. This year I have begun to speak out and share my knowledge, but I need some work here. I have also become a sort of mentor to a member of my team who is in the process of being emergency certified and has no education experience. While she insists I have helped her understand literacy so much better, I don’t quite feel it has been up to coaching caliber. Thanks to the courses I have been involved in, I feel I am staying very up to date on literacy research, although I do worry about my ability to sustain that after graduation in May.
Mykal's first aspect of literacy leadership coincides with what Bean and Dagen emphasize in their book. Her first aspect is collaboration and how important it is. Bean and Dagen talk about collective leadership which is where educators, parents, and others work together as one unit (Bean and Dagen 11). This goes hand in hand with what Mykal talks about. In order to have strong leadership everyone must collaborate. She is the leader of her grade level team and is practicing that aspect in her daily life.
DeleteMykal,
DeleteYou talked about the importance of professional development and coaching. In "The Reading Specialist", Bean also talks about how there has been an increased focus on providing professional development for teachers, and how this changes the role for some reading specialists. As you said, it is important for literacy leaders to stay up to date with current research and studies in order to provide teachers with the more recent data. This is something that I feel is pivotal in helping teachers really see the importance of what they are doing, or not doing. It can really alter their perspective in order to insight change.
DeleteI too believe that collaboration among teachers is one of the key aspects of effective literacy leadership. In the text, Best Practices of Literacy Leadership, Bean explained the importance of distributed leadership. He stated that the principal alone cannot transform a school. There is a need to bring everyone together including parents and community stakeholders. In regards to teacher collaboration, I too find it challenging at times to find time to vertically align. Our readings this week explained how the principal can help foster collaboration by allowing teachers with time to vertically and horizontally align. I remember working in Edmond and how at one of our staff development days, the principal specifically had assigned us to work with other grade levels. We were to look and see how standards differed in various areas of literacy. This was beneficial because I could see what knowledge my students had and where they needed to go. In some schools that I’ve worked at, the principals assume this happens even when we are given time to meet, but it just doesn’t always happen. Furthermore, I feel that principals play a huge role in how teachers in the school respond to literacy coaches and reading specialists. It seems that positive collaborations often start with the principal and then that can trickle down to staff members such as reading specialists who also play a huge role in building positive collaborations with teachers. The readings along with my own experiences seem to match the idea that effective schools strive for effective collaborations between all faculty and stakeholders.
I think there are so many key aspects of literacy leadership. I think one of the most important aspects is collaboration and how effective you are at working with the other teachers and administrators in your building. When I first started teaching, I felt like I needed a lot of guidance in becoming an effective literacy teacher. The reading specialist at my school was key in helping me to become a better teacher. She gave me confidence and valued my ideas and together we worked to make my literacy lessons better. I really appreciated how she helped support me in such a way that didn’t undermine my current knowledge at that time. I feel that this is something that I try to do while working with my teammates. We all have our strengths and we use those to help create better lessons for our third graders. A literacy leader also needs to be knowledgeable about various areas of literacy such as assessments (strengths/limitations), curriculum, research based instruction and strategies, etc. Throughout the program, I’ve learned the importance of making sure that what I use in my classroom is effective in helping my students become literate. Having worked with different reading curriculums and assessments in various districts as well as my knowledge learned in the reading program I also have learned that not one program or assessment can be effective on its own. This program has really helped me to also feel that I am able to express to other teachers and/or my administrators why I do what I do in the classroom if needed. Lastly, I feel that literacy leaders always need to keep learning and growing and adding to their teaching tool boxes. The graduate reading program has really helped me to grow in my knowledge about literacy and I look forward to continuing that growth this semester and hopefully after I graduate in the spring.
ReplyDeleteJamie,
DeleteYou are right on! After reading Bean, it is made clear early on that one of the most important key components to being an effective literacy leader is to work collaboratively. In fact, my favorite definition in all the readings are found in Bean, pg. 5 “Leadership is about learning together and constructing meaning and knowledge collectively and collaboratively.” It sounds like you are already doing a great job of using other teachers and specialists as resources. I was also so happy to read about “professional learning communities”, which help me to better identify how each subject specific teacher and administrator can help to create a positive, all encompassing, learning environment to help reach the needs of every student.
Jamie,
DeleteI like hearing that you had a great working relationship with your reading specialist when you first began your career. I think that experience will be beneficial as you step into your reading specialist shoes. Knowing how important you were made to feel, will be key to how you work with your teachers and students. Our readings this week mentioned "coach/coaching" multiple times. Developing positive relationships where our teachers and students are made it feel important, worthwhile, and successful are pertinent. Due to your relationship, you have excellent background knowledge to remind you of what it feels like to be the new teacher.
Jamie,
DeleteIn Best Practices of Literacy Leaders,Heifetz and Laurie (2002) identify a number of principles related to a new style of leadership. One in particular stood out to reflect your experience of working with your reading specialist. "Value the diversity and different perspectives of colleagues." Because you can relate to having worked with a reading specialist in a teacher role and remember how you felt when she helped you, valued and respected you, you will be able to carry this on once you take a reading specialist role.
There are lots of important aspects that make someone a good literacy leader. I think the first thing is having a good collaborative relationship with the people you are working with. Not only do you need to know the members of your team somewhat personally, but also know the struggles they are facing everyday in the classroom. This brings me to the next important aspect of literacy leadership which is trust. Your colleagues have to trust that you know what are you talking about either from your own experience or from your professional reading and research. Another aspect of leading others in your school community is communication. You must communicate well with your colleagues, administration, students, parents, and other stakeholders. Additionally, a literacy leader is always reading to find out what research is saying about literacy and literacy classroom practices. Finally, a literacy leader must have confidence to make decisions about what types of professional development are worthy for his/her faculty to engage in as well as recommend the most effective reading programs to the school.
ReplyDeleteBecause I have been working on this degree in Reading Education for several years and most of my colleagues know this, they always ask if I have any new ideas to try from my readings in class or if I can offer some advice about a particular student. I have already begun to build a collaborative relationship with them with lots of open communication. Next school year, I will take over as the middle school teacher librarian for my school. To assist in this transition, I meet weekly with the current teacher librarian. We talk about ways to engage middle school students in different types of literacy activities. I am able to bring ideas about what I have read and been exposed to in my grad classes, and she shares her experiences of being the librarian for over a decade. Though I have begun to develop some of these qualities, I know there is still more I can learn! The parts I don’t feel as confident in are evaluating reading programs and planning professional development, but I know after this class, I will have a better idea!
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DeleteWhen Jenny was talking about about what makes up a good literacy leader she mentions how a literacy leader is "always reading to find out what research is saying about literacy and literacy classroom practices". This goes hand in hand with what Bean says in her book, The Reading Specialist, in chapter twelve. Bean says that, "all those who work in schools must be lifelong learners" (280). In order to keep up what is going on and changing a literacy leader must always be reading and researching to see what is happening, what can they do to help their school, etc. Jenny is doing this in her daily life by continuing her education at OU in reading :)
DeleteJenny,
DeleteCongratulations on your future librarian position! Your transition into the new job is a great strategy to get your foot in the water and develop a better sense of understanding of your new role. As you seek for advice and inquire more about the position, that is similar to what a successful reading specialist should continue to do in her position. Being inquisitive about new studies and strategies was a quality that was mentioned by Bean in Chapter 12 of The Reading Specialist. As reading specialists stay up to date through professional development opportunities, published articles, and federal and state policies, good and professional practice can be observed. Communication and collaboration within and outside of the school was also a reoccurring topic mentioned in our texts. With the collaboration of grade level teachers, the principal, parents and families, and other resource teachers, students and teachers will be provided with rich strategies to experience and implement in the classroom.
I believe there are many different aspects of literacy leadership. One of the most important is to engage everyone in learning. It has been my experience that a literacy leader alone cannot be nearly as impactful in a student’s success as a collaborative group. Literacy leaders need to be able to work closely, communicate, and encourage students, teachers, administration, and parents. Here is an area which I tend to struggle. I feel like I am great encouraging students and working closely with parents to encourage learning to continue outside of the classroom. On the other hand, I want to convey confidence and knowledge when I am working with teacher’s fellow teachers, but I find it is easy to take a BIG step back and listen to ideas of others without voicing my own knowledge and research. I am definitely working on being a bit more assertive. I think this will come the further into the Reading Education Master’s Program.
ReplyDeleteFinally, literacy leaders need to be a knowledgeable resource. It is important to not only know your facts, goals, and strategies, but also to be able to communicate those in a way that teachers know they are an active participant in teaching literacy as well. I am confident that creating a community of passionate educators is the very best way to see student success.
Paige,
DeleteYou touched on something so important! Literacy leaders must be a knowledgeable resource. In "Best Practices of Literacy Leaders", Bean and Dagen specifically state "literacy leaders must also possess an in-depth knowledge of literacy that helps them think about goals for the program, appropriate materials and resources, way to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, and the professional development that will enable staff members to improve instruction for all students" (p. 17). Along with that, as you stated, is the importance of being able to communicate that knowledge to others. The idea that a collaborative group is much stronger than one person is a theme I sensed throughout our readings. It begins with the leader, but becomes much stronger when more members of the team become on board and unified with the program.
Paige,
DeleteAlong with Kaitlyn, I too gathered the importance and strength of a collaborate group as you mentioned. In "Best Practices of Literacy Leaders", Bean discusses that leadership should be distributed and shared, as "leadership does not refer to the actions of an individual, but what various individuals know and do together..." (p.7). Being an effective literacy leader requires taking on this perspective of leadership, a perspective of leadership as a collaborative act. Although you feel you need some work in asserting yourself, it seems you definitely have the collaborative perspective down!
There are several key aspects of literacy leadership. When I think about literacy leadership I imagine a "go to" person or a "go to" site that offers direction, answers questions, and provides learning assistance to those who seek help. I imagine good literacy leaders as those who are constantly learning and growing themselves. Quality leaders are those who do not tell you the information, but allow you to discover the information on your own with assistance. I imagine literacy leaders as having to walk the tight rope of providing assistance to those who need and ask for it, but also not overstepping when educators do not follow their recommendations. Developing trust and building positive relationships is key for any literacy leader.
ReplyDeleteI would like to think that I have a good foundation for literacy leadership. Many of my teacher friends regularly stop by classroom or call to share ideas, questions, and thoughts. I am also a Teacher Consultant for the Oklahoma Writing Project, so I have the opportunity to provide Literacy professional development several times a year. Lastly, I am constantly reading and searching for information to better my craft. I have LOTS to learn and I am very excited to continue growing.
Tamee touches on an important part of being a literacy leader that is emphasized in the book The Reading Specialist by Rita Bean - constantly learning and growing themselves in order to help others. Bean mentions, "all those who work in schools must be lifelong learners" (280). In order to keep up with the times and be able to help teachers and parents a literacy leader should always be learning and growing themselves. Tamee is also doing this in her own daily life by continuing her education at OU like all of us are. While most of us have mentioned this aspect, it can never be repeated enough! We must all continually learn to help ourselves and others grow :)
DeleteTamee,
DeleteI completely agree with what you said about literacy leaders having to make sure they do not overstep when a colleague doesn't follow their recommendation. Forming a trusting relationship is something talked about in "The Administration and Supervision of Reading Programs by Wepner, Strickland, and Quatroche". They suggest that "successful reading personnel cope with conflict rather than ignore it, are tolerant and empathetic towards others, and respect individual differences" (p. 36). It goes on to provide an example of a teacher interrupting another teacher's lesson to ask a student a question. I think that as a literacy leader, understanding your advice and recommendations may not get taken is a difficult thing to cope with at first, I think that it is a pivotal part to being a good leader. It is important to understand that some people will need to work through things in their own way, and will seek out your advice if needed.
Tamee,
DeleteI love your last sentence for this week's post where you stated that you have lots to learn and that you are excited to continue growing. I too feel this way about myself. Your statement is definitely and idea that was reiterated in this week's readings. Bean pointed out that reading specialists need to be lifelong learners because there is always something new to learn such as new materials, approaches and how to best teach our ever changing diverse population of students. I think your attitude is one of the key aspects to being an effective literacy coach and/or reading specialist.
The keys to literacy leadership include a growth mindset, collaborative attitude and open communication. Someone who wishes to take such a leadership role must be willing to constantly grow and learn. Showing the desire to better themselves in an effort to be able to help others in the building can help motivate others to want to learn more and hopefully work directly with the literacy leadership in their building. This learning cannot be passed on without a collaborative and supportive attitude. Open communication will be key in helping build a relationship that allows for collaboration between the literacy leader and teachers. I feel that communication would probably be the hardest skill to develop. Communication must be constructive and supportive without making teachers uncomfortable or defensive. Whoever fills the role of literacy leader must be trusted as a person that teachers can go to for help.
ReplyDeleteI feel that my strengths are my growth mindset and collaboration. I am constantly working to learn more about my teaching practices and how to improve on them. This year, my biggest journey has been working directly with an instructional coach and Learning Sciences International. I also seek out other teachers that I know are working with the coaching team and collaborate with them while in between coaching days. I love getting to work with other people and getting feedback and ideas. As I continue to grow I am hoping to further develop my skills so that I have more confidence when offering support to other teachers. I feel that I may be on the right track because other teachers come to me as much as I go to them.
Audra,
DeleteYour discussion of your strength in possessing a growth mindset reminded me of a few of the sections in chapter 12 of "The Reading Specialist". One of the sections stresses the importance of becoming a lifelong learner, and goes on to describe some ideas for adopting such a lifestyle. Bean states that"one of the most difficult steps for all of us is to realize that we may have to give up what we have been doing if we are going to make changes that will make us more effective our roles" (p.281). This statement is very reflective of a growth mindset, which is very difficult for many, including myself at times. From your post it seems you are very open and receptive to new ideas and feedback from others, which likely means you are ready and willing to make any changes necessary to become the best you can be for your students. Not only that, but it seems you actually make an effort to seek out opportunities for these changes!
Audra, I love your idea of a growth mindset! This is something I try to instill in my students, but I sometimes forget myself. The characteristics you described reminds me of Figure 2.2 from Wepner, Strickland, and Quatroche which talks about the four dimensions of leadership: intellectual, emotional, social, and moral. Your focus on communication and collaboration show the emotional and social aspects of leadership. Your continual learning attitude and work with an instructional coach shows your wish to improve your intellectual aspect. The moral aspect is seen in your dedication to doing the right things for your students, even if it requires more time and effort on your part to meet with an instructional coach. You are already a leader!
DeleteAudra,
DeleteYou stated that the keys to literacy leadership include several aspects. The one that stood out to me is having a collaborative attitude. As a literacy leader, you must be able to collaborate with not only students and teachers but with families, communities, and those who have a stake in literacy as shown in Figure 1.1 of The Reading Specialist book. You are already practicing one of the most important aspects through your collaboration at your school by "seeking out other teachers to share your ideas with." As a literacy leader, you are practicing this skill everyday, communication and collaboration. This will guide you towards being a successful literacy leader.
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ReplyDeleteThe key aspects of literacy leadership, in my opinion, are communication, collaboration, and open-mindedness. Communication is key because it is important to effectively get your message across to whoever you are communicating with. Teachers need to know that you are open to what they are saying and that their opinions and ideas are valued and heard. The next two aspects go hand in hand to me. You need to show that you are open-minded by accepting new ideas and allowing them to share their ideas with you. Along with that, they need to know that you are working as a team. They want to feel that their ideas are being considered and implemented, and that you value their ideas.
ReplyDeleteI feel that I am good collaborator. I feel comfortable sharing my ideas with my teammates and other grade levels, as well as my administrators. This is something that I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with in my second year of teaching. My teammates helped me by showing me my opinions were valued and accepting them. I also feel that I am a fairly open-minded person. I like other people to share their ideas with me, so that I can learn something new. I also think that I am open to changing with new ideas given by administration. While I want to continue to grow in both of these areas, I feel that my biggest area of growth is communication. I feel that this is a very important aspect of literacy leadership, so it is my main focus for growth.
Kaitlyn,
DeleteYour key aspect of literacy leaders: open-mindedness really is a great one that I didn’t even think about. In The Reading Specialist, Bean specifically talks about how the roll of literacy leaders can change; how educators whose passion for children’s learning and growth suddenly is not part of the job description. Rather, the reading specialist becomes more of a support for teachers and adult learning and coaching. I believe these kids of changes within the realm of literacy leader are sure to surface at some point during our career. Open-mindedness would surely be an aspect that a great leader must have.
Kaitlyn,
DeleteYou made a great point when you stated, "Teachers need to know that you are open to what they are saying and their their opinions and ideas are valued and heard." I feel that if teachers do not feel our "buy in" they are not going to respond positively to our ideas. So it is definitely a two way streak. In chapter two of Wepner, Strickland, and Quatroche's book we read about the emotional dimension of Reading Specialists. "They know that no matter how they feel, they must be flexible with their teachers so that they can support their teachers where they are." Building relationships is key.
Kaitlyn,
DeleteHaving an open mind with working with other people is definitely an important key aspect to being an effective literacy leader. The readings this week focused on collaboration and sharing knowledge. A reading specialist who thinks he/she has all the answers and isn't open to learning from others and valuing other's ideas and knowledge will not be successful even if they do have a lot of knowledge to share. I liked that Bean pointed out that in the book, Good to Great the author explained that effective leaders were not those that were autocratic but rather people who ere humble, determined and modest. I think being able to value other's opinions and showing others that you are open to learning from them too is definitely something that helps reading specialists be more effective.
Being able to effectively collaborate with an administrator is definitely something that will help you become a great literacy leader. In Chapter 1 of Bean & Dagen, they talk about how leadership is actually not something that can be done by one person. Rather it is about being able to learn together and constructing meaning along the way with multiple leaders in the school (as well as teachers and other staff). Since you are already collaborating with administrators as well as teachers, you are on the right path to doing just that.
DeleteKaitlyn,
DeleteI really appreciated your use of the word "team". In our reading from Bean and Dagen, it stressed that a leader is someone who has the ability to work with others to meet an agreed upon end. Teamwork is about communicating clear goals and being open minded to change and new ideas. Your ability and willingness to collaborate with others while keeping an open mind will help provide a solid foundation for you as you continue to grow as a literacy leader.
I believe a great literacy leader has many different qualities. This person is a "go-to" person where if someone needs help with something literacy related they are the one who can give some aid. While they help others they also are constantly growing and learning themselves. They have to know their strengths and weaknesses for if someone asks for help in a weak area of theirs they can direct the person needing help to someone who is strong in that area. A leader in literacy needs experience and background in the field so they have real word examples and knowledge to share. They need to be trustworthy so that people can trust them and come to them for help.
ReplyDeleteI am building the trust portion of being a literacy leader. I am still new to a big building of teachers so I am still meeting and getting to know teachers. As I do that I am building trust and rapport with them. I do have a great rapport with the rest of my kindergarten team. This is a strong suit of mine because I am outgoing and positive so it is easy for me to build trust with someone! Since I am a new teacher I am also building up my real world experiences so I can share with others. I am always trying to learn something new so I can have a wealth of tools for my classroom and others as well.
One part of your explanation that stood out to me was building trust and rapport. It is hard to build trust when you are the new kid on the block. A connection I noticed between this idea and the texts was in the "Voices in the Field" portion of Ch. 12 where Karen talked about her role as a literacy coach. I was struck by the fact that she said, " Confidentality is important. There is NO room for judgement." I like that Karen said the literacy coach is not a policeman, but a peer who is working side by side with fellow teachers. I think it takes time to develop this relationship, but as long as your fellow teachers know you are not there to report them to the principal or embarrass them, they will feel comfortable and open to your expertise.
DeleteBre,
DeleteYou made a great point that directly correlates to a quality trait mentioned from our readings. The ability to self-assess and self-evaluate our practices and instruction as a literacy coach is vital for progress and success. As teachers, we can find ourselves getting comfortable and using the same techniques year after year. But as Bean reminds us, using different strategies and approaches after self-evaluation can better our practice and help our students develop a better understanding in literacy. Marzano was also an advocate of self-evaluation and reconstructing our practices after implementation. Having experience and good knowledge was also a vital characteristic mentioned in our texts. Without an clear understanding of literacy, a reading specialist cannot coach and lead a site of teachers in a progressive manner. Knowing the theories, strategies, approaches, and important aspects of literacy is needed as the reading specialist can be a resource for others to refer to or an instructional coach that teaches other teachers how to implement good literacy practice. I also liked that you mentioned that you have a positive outlook on literacy, as positivity was another aspect of a literacy coach that is important. As reading specialists bring a positive energy to the classroom and within workshops, teachers and students can gain the positive mindset and share the excitement and interest in literacy.
Bre,
DeleteWhen I read your comment about being able to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses I remembered reading about this in the four dimensions that successful literacy leaders possess in Wepner, Strickland, and Quatroche (pg. 36). The authors suggest that a large aspect of the emotional dimension is being able to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses. This also means that they "know when they can help and when they cannot" (pg. 36). I think it is important for everyone to remember that as a reading specialist (especially a new reading specialist!) we will not always have the answer 100% of the time. However they must be willing and know who to turn to when they don't know how to help someone.
Breanna,
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned that literacy leaders must to continually grow and learn them selves. In The Reading Specialist, Bean states,” There is always something new to learn- new materials, new approaches, and even new students”(280). He goes on to explain why this is true: the roles of reading specialist are ever changing and the “to do” list continues to grow. We should continue to learn and grow by attending clinics, workshops, and even taking MORE college courses (I think it might be a while after this degree that I could ever be on board with that idea!) What I think is becoming of greater importance is to take part in professional organizations. Further, becoming a leader in literacy could really afford us an incredible bring attention to our legislatures what our children and need in order to be successful in the classroom.
what do you think are key aspects of literacy leadership? Which of those aspects do you think are ones you have already begun to develop?
ReplyDeleteLiteracy leadership entails a combination of knowledge, inquiry, collaboration, and educative. With great knowledge in literacy, a literacy coach can share the information with her colleagues and educate others. Having a sense of inquiry will allow the leader continued growth in her specialty. Collaborating with others, like teachers and preservice teachers, will be beneficial for student and teacher growth. And finally, through presentations and workshops lead by the literacy coach, others will be educated in literacy and can use the knowledge gained into their own classrooms and schools.
In regards to the growth of these traits, I believe I have developed all of these characteristics, but still have much more growth to experience. I have gained knowledge and have inquired much about literacy and how I can find new and engaging activities to implement in the classroom. I have collaborated with others and shared my ideas to help my teaching strategies in the classroom. I have also educated colleagues and peers about my experiences and knowledge from the courses and interactions I have developed from the program.
Literacy leadership entails a combination of knowledge, inquiry, collaboration, and educative aspirations.** (Oops! That was bothering me!)
DeleteTheresa,
DeleteI love how you mentioned the idea of inquiry and “educational aspirations.” Literacy leaders should have a thirst to always learn more and more, which reminded me of ch. 12 in Bean that discussed the reading specialist as a lifelong learner. Not only can we learn more about literacy from outside sources like professional journals and organizations, but also from ourselves using self-reflection. As a literacy coach, we should always be ready to change or modify our practices and strategies in light of new research. Literacy leaders have a responsibility to their students, colleagues, and other stakeholders should never stop learning and trying to improve the literacy of their school community.
Chapter 1 in Bean alludes to the importance of presentations and workshops like you mentioned by saying that reading specialists are more often being required to focus on "providing effective professional learning experiences for teachers who are being asked to change the ways they teach." (pg. 14). I think the most important part of the last sentence is "for teachers who are being asked to change the ways they think." This is why I agree with you on the importance of literacy leaders being able to educate other teachers, especially those who are being asked to change (whether they are resistant to change or not). It takes a very knowledgable person to teach about effective literacy instruction in the first place, but to add in not only "forcing" educators to change in some circumstances but also possible resistance requires an individual have excellent interpersonal skills,leadership qualities , and the ability to infect others with a passion for literacy as well.
DeleteTheresa,
DeleteYour literacy leadership perspective of where you are now lead me to Wepner, Strickland, and Quatroche's section about reading specialists who are successful as leaders possess some of the characteristics that enable them to function in four dimensions. Presently you exhibit the intellectual dimension with your knowledge of literacy and the emotional dimension where you are comfortable with sharing your knowledge with your colleges. My experiences with you in class display the social dimension where you are empathetic towards others and respect individual differences.
Theresa,
ReplyDeleteI liked your comment, "Having a sense of inquiry will allow the leader continue growth in her speciality." I completely agree with you. Wondering and seeking answers to that wondering is what makes us better. Bean also discussed that concept in Chapter 12, "Most of all they are passionate about their profession and eager to learn all they can to improve instruction for the students in their schools"(p. 279). I know many teachers who have not opened a new teaching book, read a blog, or participated in meaningful professional development. I am thankful that I do not fall into that category. Life might have more free time, but it would surely be boring!
I think the key aspect of literacy leadership is to be a leader who supports educators and parents in creating a community to assist and support those who struggle with reading. A literacy leader is one who is knowledgeable about research pertaining to learning literacy at every age while at the same time is a participant in listening and learning from others. A literacy leader is one who has had experience in an educator role or with a family member or friend who has struggled or is struggling with reading. Through this experience, the leader has developed a passion to help others who struggle with reading.
ReplyDeleteThrough my experiences with struggling readers in my classroom and with some family members, I have become passionate about wanting to understand what and why some people struggle with reading. I want to help them become better readers but wanted to understand what tools to use in order to help them. I am furthering my education to be able to eventually help others overcome these struggles. As I attend workshops and through a few semesters of graduate school, I have been excited to return to my school and share with others what I have learned but I’m not confident in doing this. The aspects I feel I have begun to develop are being supportive to students, their parents and my fellow educators in my building about literacy and sharing what I have learned through my readings in class.
Michelle,
DeleteI think it is really importance that you brought up the experience aspect of being a literacy leader. In "The Administration and Supervision of Reading Programs", it is stated that "Reading specialists need to be knowledgeable about three major roles (teaching, coaching, and leading) and have experiences that enable them to develop in these three roles" (Wepner & Quatroche, p.40). You are building these experiences that will later be extremely beneficial for your literacy leadership practice. Gaining as much experience as possible with struggling readers will allow you to be a resource to your school.
Michelle,
DeleteBeing a support system for other educators and families is definitely an aspect a reading specialist should have. The texts goes beyond educators and families, but also includes the importance of the role of a principal as well. Bean goes heavily into detail about the impact of a principal's role and the support that can be provided to the reading specialist through collaborative opportunities during PLC meetings, funding for materials, professional development workshops, and much more. Bean also stressed the importance of helping other academic discipline teachers realize that they too are reading teachers along with their specialty areas. And as reading specialists, we need to encourage these teachers to practice reading strategies within their own classrooms. This can be done through school wide collaboration and also vertical and horizontal collaborations.
Michelle,
DeleteI like that you addressed that it is a responsibility of the literacy leader to support educators and families. You also addressed the importance of continued learning. It is extremely important that literacy leaders stay up to date on research about literacy learning and be willing to hear from others. "Perspectives and times change and so must we!" (Bean, p. 280). Understanding the need for life long learning is essential in helping teachers, students, and parents. You will be able to gain a better understanding of struggling readers and share ways to better reach those students.
There are so many important characteristics that are a part of an effective literacy leader. Someone who is a good teacher might be the first thing that comes to mind, but being a good team player or collaborator, a charismatic leader, being flexible, a good communicator, a life-long learner, an individual who keeps up with the latest literacy/educational research, and being passionate about litearcy are some other key characteristics that come to mind. Although I am not a teacher, I believe that in my job in speech therapy I have become fairly adept at collaborating with classroom teachers, librarians, teaching assistants, administration, or anyone else I find myself working with. Communication is an area of strength for me since that is what my current role in the public schools is all about. I have already begun to develop a passion for literacy but my next task will be how to learn to engage others about literacy and get them excited about it as well. My leadership skills are something that will need to be further developed since I am not in a prominent leadership position currently.
ReplyDeleteMelinda,
DeleteYou addressed a lot of really good key aspects of a literacy leader. In fact, many of those were addressed in "The Reading Specialist" chapter 1 under "The Value of Reading Specialists in Schools." Being flexible is one that really stands out and connects with the reading from Bean. The role of the reading specialist has significantly changed over the years and shifts continue to happen. Bean stresses the importance of a reading specialist "being nimble and able to adapt quickly" (p.3). It is important for a reading specialist to understand all of the roles that they may be expected to fill and it will require some adjustments. While Bean addresses how the roles of reading specialists change, being flexible will also be crucial to being able to adequately support teachers, students, and families.