Cultivating Coaching Mindsets: An Action Guide for Literacy Leaders

by Rita M. Bean, Jacy Ippolito

Overview

Literacy leaders are working to provide highly effective, rigorous teaching and learning as they work with families, communities, individuals, and the system simultaneously. To do that, they need to wear many hats, serving as leaders, facilitators, designers, and advocates.

In Cultivating Coaching Mindsets, authors Rita Bean and Jacy Ippolito lay out a detailed framework to help literacy leaders promote the advancement of literacy instruction that improves and deepens learning. They also explore facilitation techniques for providing meaningful feedback while respecting teachers’ views and knowledge—supporting teachers as they build their capacity to reflect on and improve literacy learning for all students.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781941112687
Publisher:	Learning Sciences International
Publication date:	06/30/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	324,915
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Rita M. Bean, PhD, is professor emerita of the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Instruction and Learning. For over twenty-five years, she taught students preparing to be reading specialists and served as director of the Reading Center. Prior to joining the university, she taught at the elementary level and served as reading coordinator (K-12), the role which stimulated her interest in coaching to support teacher professional learning. Bean has focused her research on the role and impact of reading specialists and literacy coaches in schools. She served as co-director of a large-scale evaluation study of a literacy initiative in Pennsylvania that included coaching as a major approach for professional learning. She has also participated in several national studies that have resulted in position statements about the role of reading specialists and literacy coaches (International Literacy Association). She received her bachelor's degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and her master's and doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Bean received the University of Pittsburgh's Distinguished Teacher Award and the Chancellor's Distinguished Service Award for her community and outreach efforts to improve literacy. In 2009, she was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame and is currently serving as its president.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

About the Authors xiii

Preface xv

Chapter 1 Remodeling Schools for Effective Literacy Learning: The Case for Coaching 1

Basic Beliefs About Coaching 2

Pathways Into Coaching 4

What Is Coaching and How Does It Support High-Quality Literacy Instruction? 5

Framework for Thinking and Working Like a Coach 6

Major Assumptions About Coaching 13

Summary 17

Activities 17

Chapter 2 Cultivating Coaching Mindsets: Ways of Thinking and Working Like a Coach 19

Frame 1 Thinking Like a Leader; Authentic Leadership and Leading Adult Learning 20

Frame 2 Thinking Like a Facilitator; Coaching Roles, Stances, and Positionality 26

Frame 3 Thinking Like a Designer; Considering Form and Function 29

Frame 4 Thinking Like an Advocate; Standing for Something 31

Summary 36

Activities 36

Chapter 3 Coaching for Student Success: What 21st Century Literacy Leaders Need to Know 37

Standards as the Driver for Developing Curriculum That Meets High Expectations 38

Major Shifts: How Now Is Different From Then 40

Marrying the Content and Processes of Effective Literacy Instruction 44

Technology as a Tool to Support Teacher and Student Learning 51

Thinking Ahead to School-Wide Literacy Programming 54

Summary 55

Activities 55

Chapter 4 Analyzing and Shaping School Culture: All Systems Got 57

School Culture: How Important Is It? 59

Creating Change at the Organizational Level: Improving Literacy Instruction 62

Diversity: Human Capital 64

The Principal and Coaching 67

Working With Other Specialized Professionals 71

Example of a School Change Initiative: The Importance of System-Wide Change 72

Summary 73

Activities 73

Chapter 5 Overview: Ways of Working With Teachers 75

The Power of Language: Talking With Individuals and Groups of Teachers 76

The Power of Discussion-Based Protocols 79

Coaching Activities for Developing Relationships With Individuals and Groups of Teachers 83

Summary 90

Activities 90

Chapter 6 Working With Individual Teachers to Analyze and Transform Instruction Practices 91

Modeling 93

Co-Teaching 95

Observing 97

The Observation Cycle 99

Summary 111

Activities 111

Chapter 7 Working With Groups to Establish Schools as Places of Learning 113

Why Coaches Work With Groups 114

General Guidelines for Working With Groups of All Sizes 116

Small-Group Coaching 119

Other Strategies for Facilitating Small Groups 122

Large-Group Presentations 126

Ideas for Follow-Up 128

Group Activities That Support the Development of Professional Learning Communities 128

Summary 132

Activities 132

Chapter 8 Assessment as a Guide for Student Literacy Learning and School Improvement 135

Assessment of Student Learning: What and Why 136

Large-Scale, High-Stakes Measures: Potential and Pitfalls 138

Ideas for Literacy Leaders: Using Data to Improve Classroom Instruction 141

Teach Students to Self-Assess and Set Their Own Learning Goals 146

Using Data for School and District Improvement 147

Summary 151

Activities 151

Chapter 9 Developing, Implementing, and Sustaining School Wide Literacy Programs 153

The Role of Literacy Leaders in Improving School-Wide Literacy 154

Establishing a Literacy Leadership Team 156

The Needs-Assessment Process 159

The Comprehensive Literacy Plan: Planning for Action 162

Implementation and Sustainability: Keys to Change 164

Developing or Selecting Materials for the Literacy Program 168

Maintaining the Dual Focus on Individuals and the System 170

Summary 171

Activities 172

Chapter 10 Working With Families and Communities 173

The Importance of Engaging Families and Community 174

Ideas for Developing a School Culture That Understands, Values, and Celebrates the Diversity of Its Communities 175

Build Two-Way Communication Channels to Enhance Family Understanding and Involvement 178

Capitalizing on Community Resources by Establishing Relationships 181

Summary 186

Activities 186

Chapter 11 The Literacy leader as Lifelong Learner 187

A Quick Caveat About "Expertise" 188

Knowledge That Supports Literacy Leadership Work 190

Self-Assessments: Possibilities and Pitfalls 197

A Quick Reminder About the Many Pathways to Becoming an Effective Coach 203

A Final Note About Our Own Coaching Habits of Mind 204

Summary 204

Activities 204

Chapter 12 Coaching Cases: Stories of Coaches and Coaching 207

Case 1 The Evolution of a Coach 208

Case 2 Learning, Leading Learning, and Enacting Disciplinary Literacy at Brookline High School 212

Case 3 Conducting a Needs Assessment: An Example of the CALS in Action 218

Case 4 Pennsylvania Institute for Instructional Coaching (PIIC) 220

Appendix A Ways of Thinking and Working Like a Coach Framework 225

Appendix B For Further Study: Resources for Literacy Leaders 231

Appendix C Note-Taking Organizer When Coach Is Modeling Instruction 239

Appendix D Observation Protocol for Content-Area Instruction 241

Appendix E Lesson Analysis Guide for the Post-Observation Conversation 245

Appendix F Developing a Comprehensive Assessment System 247

Appendix G Sample Assessment-Focused Professional Learning Experiences 251

The Large-Group Meeting 251

Follow-Up Questions for the Grade-Level or Academic Team 252

Implementation 252

Individual Support and Feedback 252

Appendix H Developing a Comprehensive Reading Plan: Questions to Consider 253

Curriculum Questions 253

Instruction Questions 254

Assessment Questions 254

Process-for-Change Questions 255

Appendix I Action-Planning Guide 257

Appendix J An Adapted Data-Driven Dialogue Protocol From Hudson High School 261

Phase I Predictions-5 Minutes-On Your Own 261

Phase II Observations-15 Minutes-On Your Own 262

Phase III Sharing Observations-15 Minutes-In Small Groups 262

Phase IV Inferences Dialogue-15 Minutes-In Small Groups 262

Phase V Whole-Team Inference Dialogue-20 Minutes-As a Whole Team 262

References 265

Index 281