Ch. 5 Synopsis
This chapter focuses on a school wide literacy approach system. For a literacy curriculum implementation to be success 3 pillars must be in place: principal and curriculum leader involvement and a vertical leadership team. The principal needs to be apart of the development. Not only do they support teachers, they encourage. Principals are to be active participants in the implementation and sustainment. Curriculum leaders over see the main details of the SBC process. Last, the leadership team, which is comprised of teachers, must be sold on the idea. They help get other teachers on board. With these 3 pillars in place, the next steps will come easier. In this chapter a "To Do Cylce" was introduced. Basically it discussed the school having a school wide vision plan that is a living and breathing vision that everyone knows. Once the vision is established, teachers and staff come up with the end of year goals. These goals keep everyone on track and give a clear picture of where everyone is headed. During the evidence based systems stage, teachers develop tasks, text, and scoring tools tied to the end of year goals. These gather students progress 3 times a year. It also helps with differentiating instruction. Using the evidence based systems, teachers can develop evidence based teaching. The way to sustain these pillars and "To Do Cycle" is by allowing teachers to dicuss their assessments 3 times a year. Then the last step comes in, Curriculum documentation. Teachers create a reference guide to help keep practices in place. At this stage teaches are able to see the fruit of their labor. It all comes together. With SBC process teachers are able to maintain a literacy program that works for their school.
Questions 1
I think the school I was before basically used this model. We had principal, literacy coach, and leadership team support. This group did a good job winning the acceptance of the teachers. There was a lot of planning and collaborating . I remember making a vision statement. We were required to learning and practice it. So all in all it was set up very similar. The problems began when we had a new principal come in 2 years into the process. She was not a proponent of the new literacy. She didn't really support. At that point it began to be placed on the back burning of the priority list. I'm not sure how you keep a program movement going when the principal doesn't see the importance of it. I think if I'd been the literacy coach, I'd try to lay out evidence of how it had improved the school. Try to get data of before the implementation and data of the school now.
Question 2
When we implemented literacy 1st, we were all required follow a similar whole and small group lesson format. This made grade levels pretty similar is the way they taught and what they taught. We weren't told what to teach. We were just suppose to all follow similar outlines. This helped with curriculum alignment and across grade level planning. Everyone in the school was required during the summer to attend a 2 week professional development workshop on the new program. This really helped everyone understand what the goal was.
Question 3
This was a hard question. I don't feel the school I was at did a great job with teachers reflecting . Maybe this is because I was only their for the first two year of implementation. Therefore it was pretty intense completely changing a schools curriculum. The time was used to talk about what to add and change, instead of what you could do better. We had a state rep for Literacy First come and observe each of our classrooms. She would post conference with us and give us quick suggestions. That's really the only time I remember specifically focusing on reflection. I got to observe peer teachers in their classrooms teach. This helped me reflect on my own teacher, which allowed me to improve.
Julie- At a child development center, do you have school wide literacy curriculum? Or is it more open to allow teachers to choose what they want? Either way, how do you implement and monitor that? Have you ever had to implement new curriculum. how did that go? Would an SBC process be beneficial in your setting?
Erin- Have you been involved in a SBC process? If so, was it similar to this SBC process implemented. Did it help with the transition? If it wasn't, do you think this process would have made it a smoother transition?
Kaitlin, I agree with your synopsis and that teachers must be sold on the idea for it to become successful. We don't have a set literacy curriculum at my center. Teachers are allowed to choose how they teach the children as long as it follows the Early Learning Guidelines for that specific age level. We use the ELG to make sure our lessons are developmentally appropriate. For PreK, our first director used the PASS documents when creating our progress report so we would know the children were learning what was expected of them upon entering Kindergarten. Lesson plans for each classroom must be posted on their parent board each week and since I began checking in more frequently with teachers, I see what's happening in their class. I do think we can do a better job monitoring development. The only classrooms that has an actual assessment form are Infants and PreK. I know that we need an assessment that our toddlers, twos, and preschool so that we know exactly how our kiddos are developing. We have a lot of conversations about the children before they move into older classes, but I think we need something to keep on hand. I do think an SBC process would be beneficial in our setting. We're preparing the children for school (most of which will be public), so I can't imagine why it wouldn't be useful.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've got a hand on it though! Obvioulsy child development centers are required to follow specific curriculum. To be honest that was my favorite part of being in a CDC. Assuming you have trustworthy and hard working teachers, it gives them the personal freedom to engage learners. I think it allows their personalities to shine through. Making the jump from CDC to pubic was hard. Public school can take a lot of the freedom out. That's why I loved teaching pre-k in a public school. It hadn't been filtrated with curriculum requirements and loaded with test/assessments. I actually got the time to teach.
DeleteI also like how the lesson plans are posted on line each week for parents. I'm a HUGE advocate for parent/teacher relationships. I believe opening up the classroom makes a big difference in those relationships!
That's one of the things I really enjoy about a CDC. The freedom they have to bring in their own personalities, talents and creativity. We're getting ready for parent conferences next week, so it will be busy but so important for relationships. You're right about staff. You must have hardworking and dedicated teachers that will invest their time and talent.
DeleteThat's why going to public school was a hard but necessary change for me. I was a new teacher and I needed the structure to learn from others and get ideas. Now that I've taught a while and am in school, I feel I could join a CDC and actually be successful. But it took me having to leave to learn what a good teacher was. if that makes sense! You're teachers are there cause they want to be and are probably proactive in their learning. I love that aspect!
DeleteKaitlin, very thoughtful answers. WHat do you think could have helped you be a more reflective teacher? (if you were the literacy coach, what would you have done?)
ReplyDeleteHonestly if I had been the literacy coach, I'm assuming I might have been on the interview team for a principal. Not sure how that works, but none the less, I would have brought up our literacy movement and reiterated how much our school as improved. Asked questions to the principal about sustaining it? What were her school wide literacy goals/approaches?
DeleteI felt I reflected pretty regardless of the administration supporting it. I personally don't like the idea of another teacher being better at something than I am. I'm competitive. Therefore I make it a goal to improve in that area. I was constantly checking in on teaches who were considered "model" teachers. I would get ideas from them. I'd ask them for help. I found teachers I felt believed in the same methods I did and tried to model after them. I met weekly with my grade-level and we discussed ideas and how to improve them. I read articles and blogs about effective teachers and their strategies. I was very proactive. As a literacy coach I'd encourage my teachers to do the same. Find someone they admire and get help and suggestions from them!
Kaitlin, I love that you're proactive and willing to learn new things. I can learn a lot about becoming a more reflective leader from your post.
DeleteWell said, both of you! I can tell you are a lifelong learner, and as such will make a good model for teachers in a school.
DeleteJulie- it's clear your very reflected too! I think if you care about kids, you are reflective! You do what's best for kids.
DeleteKaitlin, I have never been involved in the SBC process. This concept is very new to me. I really like the concept of building a constructivist approach to literacy curriculum. I do feel that if I had the ownership of the instruction and assessments then I would be able to meet the needs of all my students by the end of the year. I could see a lot of staff members at my school being very resistant to this. They seem to have the mind set of I'll take what I can get and use it because I don't want to spend more time. I also feel my principal has that mindset in that, we will do the minimal of what needs to be done because the staff isn't motivated to put more time in.
ReplyDeleteI think that's were the struggle comes in. When a school is set in their ways, especially if their ways are working for them, why would they need to change? I think it almost takes an administration change or a real need to change literacy. The school I was at had to make a changes because of testing scores and to continue to qualify for title one and not be put on probation. Therefor everyone was on board wether they liked it or not. So I could see why your school wouldn't be if there isn't a need.
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