Chapter 10

Key Point #1: If student learning does not occur, they (the literacy coach & teacher) recycle and start the process again.

Reflection: I think this goes along with the comment our guest speaker made, "If they're not learning, it's your fault." I think there are some teachers (I have worked with some of them myself) out there who do not hold themselves accountable when students are not learning or making progress. They seem to find others to blame (students, other teachers, parents) rather than starting over and brainstorming new ideas. I think the literacy coach can help change that way of thinking in those teachers and refocus these teachers on student learning.

Key Point #2: The literacy coach, as a member of the school community, can provide sustained, ongoing, and intensive support through frequent encounters with teachers.

Reflection: I think I may have mentioned this in class when we were discussing the new roles of reading specialists and literacy coaches. My concern is that literacy coaches seem to have so many responsibilities to keep up with and they will not be as available as frequently as teachers need them. I just wonder how frequently the author thinks these encounters are supposed to occur. In many schools and even districts, there is only one literacy coach to take care of all teachers and classrooms. How effective can that one person be and how often do they really get to interact with each teacher? I think the suggested roles of literacy coaches and relationships with teachers are great ideas, but they may need additional support and resources because there is a lot to do and numerous teachers to address.

Key Point #3: This respect for individual perspectives and unique personalities is the cornerstone of collaboration.

Reflection: I think it's important for everyone in the learning community to put their pride and egos aside in order to build an effective collaborative group. People never like to admit that others know better than they do or know more than they do. In the learning community, however, I think everyone needs to accept the fact that they do not know everything; and that other teachers and literacy coaches can be very helpful. Working together generates more ideas, perspectives, and experiences to build on to help improve student learning. Like the author says, if all teachers and literacy coaches focus on student learning rather than on themselves.

Key Point #4: As they had done in their book club, they encouraged their students to tell personal stories as they discussed their understanding.

Reflection: I think this is a great way to spark interest and strike up conversation in the classroom. Students have so much to offer to the discussion about a story or text. The other students can relate to what their classmates are saying. These shared experiences and stories offer a real understanding of what is being talked about in the text and improve reading comprehension. I do not think it is in the students' best interest to read and not discuss their interactions with and reactions to the text. That's what makes reading enjoyable, being able to relate to the text and bring the story to life with your own ideas.

Key Point #5: Literacy coaches, teachers, and administrators who want to create this support for teacher development need parameters for developing this yearlong experience.

Reflection: I think it is very common, especially in education, to mandate or role out some new program or experience without proper information, training, and follow-up. Literacy coaches and working collaboratively with them as classroom teachers is something relatively new for many teachers. I think teachers (and some literacy coaches) need an organized set of parameters to know where to begin. I know it's not likely that there will be parameters for how to build relationships with one another, but I think there should be some guidelines for building and properly implementing the intended goals of the learning community.