Leadership
Do you guide teachers, specialists, and literacy coaches? Here are tools, advice, and strategies school leaders need for their daily work in staff meetings, study groups, and one-on-one discussions with colleagues. If you have a leadership role in coaching teachers and designing professional development, you'll want an upgraded membership with access to our Leaders Lounge.
Latest Content
Literacy Chats with Teachers: Routines and Guidelines
Principal Karen Szymusiak explains the format and goals of literacy chats at her school, and provides a video example of a grades 3-5 chat.
Literacy Coaching Interview Rubric
This rubric can help anyone interviewing for a literacy coaching position determine if there is a philosophical fit between their beliefs and the goals of the school. The rubric is also helpful for any school in the process of defining responsibilities for literacy coaches
Finding Words: Linking Community and Classrooms
Principal Karen Szymusiak and 3rd Grade Teacher/Literacy Coach Pam Hahlen do a quick word search activity using dictionaries donated to the classroom by a local service club.
Mentor Interviews — A Protocol of Questions
This series of over 30 questions for mentors or novice teachers can be used to plan a mentoring program, match mentors and novice teachers, or launch partnerships early in the fall.
Chatting About Coaching Collaboration
Gail Boushey and Janet Scott discuss how they collaborate as coaches, sharing strategies and common goals across the classrooms they work in.
Literacy Chats: An Open Discussion Format
Literacy coach Pam Hahlen discusses the value and format of monthly “literacy chats” for teachers.
Talking About Synthesis: Metaphors from 2nd Graders
In this remarkable discussion, Lauren Scott's second-grade students chat with their teacher and Principal Karen Szymusiak about metaphors for synthesis.
Tiger Teams: Mixed Age Student Groups
In this video, Karen Szymusiak (the principal at Glacier Ridge Elementary School in Dublin, Ohio) explains how “Tiger Teams” work. Tiger Teams are mixed age groups of K-5 students who meet regularly to talk about their learning and the school community.
Student Reading Interview: Assessing Ana
Principal Karen Szymusiak interviews Ana, a second grader, to learn more about her strengths and needs as a reader.
Case Studies in Professional Learning Communities
In this brief video, Literacy Coach Pam Hahlen and Principal Karen Szymusiak meet with two teachers in a professional learning community group to discuss ongoing case studies.
Data Cards: Assessment Profiles at a Glance
“Data cards” are ingeniously designed to allow an entire grade-level team to look at the reading levels of all students in the grade. In this four-minute video, “The Sisters” (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser) explain how they work.
Collaborative Team Meeting: Assessing and Planning Together
Gail Boushey leads a collaborative planning meeting between 4th grade teachers, literacy coaches, and the principal early in the year.
Quick Take: Protocols for Teacher Study Groups
In this three-minute Quick Take video, Clare Landrigan describes the teacher study group protocol she uses to foster shared understanding and allow for differentiated learning among teachers.
Under, Over and Beyond Words: Strategies for Observing Talk in Classrooms
This article offers possibilities for observing classrooms focused on talk as an alternative to traditional observation notes.
We Are All Shamu: What Literacy Leaders Can Learn from Exotic Animal Trainers
If you've ever compared your classroom to a zoo, this article by Brenda Power is for you. You'll take animal trainer advice like "We change behavior in others by breaking routines in delightful ways" and follow it into the classroom.
Literacy Coach Confidential: What Can I Do About Poor Attendance at My Study Group?
When attendance drops in study groups, here are some ways to get it back on track (or take a new direction entirely).
The Other Buddy: How Partnership Programs Help Older Readers
In many buddy reading programs we often tout the benefits for the younger, less experienced reader, but Shari Frost tells the story of a “big kid” reader with a legitimate reason to read books that were closer to his independent level. Read on.
Boosting Attendance at Study Groups
Brenda Power shares advice from teachers that are building and maintaining inquiry study groups with adults.
Collaborative Teaching: Finding Common Ground First
These are important questions for teachers entering into a co-teaching situation to consider in advance.
Literacy Coach Confidential: Teachers Resent Me – What Can I Do?
We address the issue of resentment by considering how leaders can stay optimistic and use questions to open up a discussion.
Keeping It Simple: Reflections on the December New Teachers Study Group
What is really important for our time and energy? Jennifer Allen reflects on words of wisdom that keep her centered as a literacy coach.
Planning a New Teachers’ Professional Development Program
Jennifer Allen maximizes resources as she plans for a monthly professional development group for new teachers.
Creative Literacy Events for Families
Brenda Power suggests formats for events that build stronger home-school connections.
The Dog Ate My Study Group Plans! Four Instant (and Fun and Reflective) No-Prep Teacher Workshops (E-GUIDE)
This e-guide provides tried-and-true workshops plans for educators in need of energy and encouragement.
Time for Reading
Shari Frost describes how literacy coaches shadowed children to get a sense of how much reading students were doing.
Literacy Coach Confidential: Some Study Group Participants Aren’t Reading the Book
Have you ever experienced the strange phenomenon of colleagues who show up for book study groups and gab away, even though they haven't read the text? You may be a victim of "bullcrit" – the willingness of some people to critique movies they haven't seen, music they haven't heard, and books they haven't read.
Four Essentials in Designing Professional Development for Literacy Leaders
While clever activities for adult professional development are fun, what really helps colleagues become more competent and sensitive to classroom and school needs? Franki Sibberson knows what her colleagues need and gives it to them.
On Kidney Tables: Small Changes for Big Effects
When our environment aligns with our values, Karen Szymusiak considers what helps learners take charge of their experience in a successful learning community.
Above the Fold: Creating Individual Professional Development Plans (E-GUIDE)
Determine importance for yourself using a six-step process that individualizes a plan to help you set limits, study deeply and lead the scholarly life you deserve.
Charting the Course: A Yearlong Professional Development Plan for New Teachers (SCHEDULE)
Planning with the end in mind is essential for literacy leaders. Jennifer Allen takes us through her process for creating a focused and progressive year-long plan.
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