Sometimes, when I’m coaching teachers around the use of social networking tools and the establishment of professional learning networks, I’m asked how transparent educators are expected to be online. My answer is always pretty simple: each person gets to choose how much they reveal about themselves inside of their networks. There aren’t any hard and fast rules, although there are recommendations and etiquette to be sure. Those that I trust most are clear about who they are and what they think in ways that are both honest and respectful, but when it comes to sharing anything about ourselves or our work online, the choices are ours to make.

Unless someone does it for us, of course.

What are implications of this?

As a teacher, it was always important to me that the learners in my classroom felt safe. My students wrote around topics that interested them, and sometimes, their work was very personal.  Some lacked confidence as writers, and others knew that their work was still in process and not ready for publication. It was never my place to decide for them what they would share. What an incredible violation that would have been.

As a literacy coach and service provider, the teachers that I visit are often engaged in learning and work that I find interesting. Some aren’t eager to share it with a wider audience for any number of reasons though, and often, focusing on the potential for sharing it gets in the way of the learning. It distracts me from listening or observing or engaging well, and it adds a level of pressure that isn’t at all productive.

Once in a while,  I’ve posted several reflections about the work of teachers that I admire, with their permission. One of the unintended consequences? Teachers who were not mentioned on my blog felt overlooked. The same could also happen with students.

Over time, I’ve realized that perhaps it isn’t my place to showcase the work of others, unless they ask me to. I don’t stream our lessons or post pictures of our work together because I’m sensitive to this reality. More importantly, the work that students and teachers do belongs to them, regardless of how I might have been involved in it. If anyone is going to mention it online, I guess I think that they should….and often, they do…..without any help from me.

In this iPhone and Flip-friendly age, it’s tempting to want to shoot and share every memorable moment of my day. The students and teachers that I work with give me pause though. I’m realizing that in accepting my role as a consultant and coach, I must accept other responsibilities as well. It’s not enough to simply choose how transparent I prefer to be online. It’s critical that I’m respectful of the rights of others to choose how much of themselves and their work they want to share and where and when. It’s not my place to post photos or videos of anyone–especially the children I work with, unless I’ve asked permission first or those kids have invited me to do so. My own daughter didn’t begin blogging until she was old enough to understand what it meant to have an online presence and choose this for herself. I know that much of this gets rather sticky and hard to remain vigilant about, though–particularly when my learning is so closely connected to the learning that others do and we all share within these spaces in order to learn.

Am I the only one grappling with this?

Helping teachers and students define a vision for the learning that they would like to accomplish and the work that they would like to do is critical, and this looks different everywhere I go. It should. The culture of every school and every community is different, and it would be incredibly arrogant and ineffective to assume that I have answers. In fact, I’ve discovered that teachers and students actually know quite a bit about what they need and how I can help them. Doing my work well requires me to  listen, ask good questions, and learn where the entry points into our work together might be.

Often, I learn about what isn’t possible right now.

Filters are a reality in every school I work in, and I imagine that things will remain this way for a good long time. I’ve worked in classrooms as recently as a month ago that did not have a single computer in them. In fact, there are still schools in our region who only provide one computer per classroom–for teachers to keep their grade books on.

I also work with teachers who are courageous enough to convey the fact that they aren’t at all comfortable teaching reading and writing. They aren’t certain how to provide quality feedback to the writers that they work with. Some haven’t really written anything themselves since grad school. I know more than a handful of teachers who still struggle to check their email on a daily basis. Terms like RSS, wiki, ning, and blog give them tremors. That’s okay. They are eager to learn from one another, and I’m honored to help them however I can. This often begins by finding out who people really are, what they long to accomplish as learners and teachers, and what they are passionate about. When people are engaged in meaningful learning that is aligned to these purposes, the development of skills like reading and writing and…improved instructional practice…..seem to become natural by-products of that experience.

As a service provider, I’ve found that real change is often slow change. Beginning with an audit of what teachers and students need, what they are interested in and experienced with, and what resources are available and open within the district has been an excellent place to start.This helps us ground our work together in what is possible. The fact is that even with filters and standards and testing and budget cuts and Race to the Top and all of the things people are confused and frustrated about….so much is possible. Advocating for what could be if a few thousand things simply change first isn’t a very good use of my time….although I think it is imperative that others, particularly those who are more powerful than I may be, do this work in a very big way. That’s not my purpose most days though, and I need to remain clear about this. My purpose is to respect and help people  in my little community remember who they are and what they want to accomplish in service to one another. My purpose is to support those teachers and students who are eager to learn and grow right now, using the resources and the learning opportunities that might help them best in the system they are in.

Clarity of purpose remains one greatest needs I’ve identified in my work with administrators, teachers, and students.

What is the purpose of our school? What are our purposes as leaders? As learners? As service providers?

What are we trying to learn about students and about our work as teachers? How do we study this best? Which of the tools that we have can help us do this most effectively?

How will we act, in response to what we learn about our students, our teachers, our administrators, and ourselves?

This is the work that makes me most joyful, and it happens best when I’m able to focus on what is possible. I have such tremendous respect for people and learning in progress, particularly when people are willing to own that reality rather than cover it up for fear of being told they are wrong or judged harshly by those who claim to know more than they wonder. None of what real learners do is perfect….in fact, none of us are perfect…..and in a huge way, I think that this is what makes us good examples.

In the mean time, we’ve established an online community that will allow us to remain in touch with one another in between sessions and connect with those beyond our community who might help us learn and grow even more. Please consider joining us here if you are a literacy leader in your own school or community! This tool provides tremendous potential for all of us, and it would be wonderful to connect with those beyond our area as well.

This has everything to do with literacy.

It has everything to do with learning.

Imagine the possibilities.

They already exist.

As a literacy coach, remaining connected to teachers during demonstration lessons remains one of my greatest challenges. Often, teachers are uncertain what they are supposed to be doing while I am at the front of the room, despite the protocols we’ve put in place and the pre-planning that happens prior to my visits. Sometimes, teachers will find themselves distracted by learners who aren’t engaging me with me in the exact way that they would like them to. Sometimes, teachers will find themselves consumed by the phone or the students who wander in late from lessons or a thousand other disruptions. And once in a while, teachers will even turn their backs to me to surf the net, grade papers, or take care of prep work during the spare moments that my demo lessons seem to provide. Whatever the reason, it makes for a less than meaningful experience.

Enter collaborative literacy coaching.

Last week, while one of us was leading a demonstration lesson, the other was coaching on the sidelines. When it was my turn, I found myself able to explain the purposes behind certain practices in real time. I was able to point out formative assessment moments, and I could illuminate interventions that may not have been evident had teachers been left to observe on their own. More importantly, I was able to listen to the teachers as they reflected on what they saw and ask questions that prompted better connections and deeper thought. Talk about powerful!

Afterward, I actually had someone to engage in reflective practice with. We each noticed, felt, and assumed different things about the lessons that we taught and observed. Sharing our perspectives and the evidence that we were able to collect about these events, the needs of teachers, and student performance was clarifying.

Last night, I found further inspiration in this piece by Jan Miller Burkins and Scott Ritchie. I may never coach solo again.

Now, to figure out how to make that a reality…….has anyone else out there done so already? Ideas?

First, potential coaches have been invited to participate in a variety of workshop sessions aimed at helping them learn and plan strategically. Participants in these sessions have assessed their needs and shared them with me in ways that have helped to shape our conversations and study. We’ve explored a variety of different texts, shared promising instructional strategies and tools, and considered factors beyond the nuts and bolts of on-the-ground coaching itself, including a study of group dynamics, leadership, and (very) basic systems thinking.

This year, with the help of Theresa Gray at Erie 2 BOCES, we’ve also launched what is (to my knowledge) our area’s first literacy coaching forum: WNYLIT. Current and potential coaches from different school districts and with varied experience are beginning to meet and learn from one other here on a consistent basis….beginning today! We’re welcoming others in our area to join us as well. If you’re interested, drop me a line. I’m looking forward to meeting other local literacy coaches, and I’m very excited to be connecting those who are interested in beginning this work to a wider network before they make the leap.

Those that I coach are welcome to join the WNY Young Writers’ Studio as well. Our work is influenced by our fellowship with Communities for Learning: Leading Lasting Change. The CFL framework and the Dispositions of Practice guide our thinking and inform our actions in ways that workshops and training alone cannot. Two of the potential coaches that I serve are now fellows of this community as well.

Finally, potential coaches have been invited to plan, shadow and collaboratively coach with me on the job. I spent a portion of last week “co-coaching” with a fellow of the WNY Young Writers’ Studio who is interested in assuming an internal coaching position in her school district should it become available. This was beneficial in a variety of ways, and one I plan to write more about tomorrow. Do any of you engage in similar collaborative learning experiences? If so, I hope you will share your stories in the comments section below.

I’m hopeful that opportunities like these will allow those who are new to coaching a variety of diverse perspectives and multiple layers of support as they gain their footing and begin building momentum. As an independent coach, my goal is to leave the districts that I serve well poised to work independently as well. These steps are just the beginning……what else do you consider when contemplating ways to sustain new literacy coaches?

One of the greatest challenges that all facilitators face is ensuring sustainable learning and work. I’m still uncertain whether this is even possible, but my fellowship with Communities for Learning has inspired me to plan for this far better than I was ever able to in the past. I embraced literacy coaching as a means to a more sustainable end several years ago, and in the process, I’m discovering that facilitating lasting learning experiences is just as challenging for coaches as it is for those lead event-based professional development. I’m realizing that sustainability has less to do with how often people are exposed to information and support and more to do with the ways in which information and support are accessed and provided.

Often, adult learners expect (even demand) “stuff.” When teachers invest a chunk of their time in professional learning, they often want to leave with some “thing” to show for it. Resources. Materials. Tools. Examples. When I consider sustainability, I struggle with this reality. I’m not certain how this helps to create lasting learning experiences. And yet……

Isn’t there a time and a place for sharing what we know in service to others who are just beginning their study or practice? Aren’t models a necessity? Doesn’t gradual release imply moments where facilitators “do” while participants “watch”?

Last week, the teachers that I worked with were exposed to the Studio writing community model directly. I shared the work of our community and what I’ve learned as a teacher, coach, and professional development provider over the years with the group as a whole. Then, they had the opportunity to assess their own needs and engage in a variety of center-based experiences aligned to them. Each center provided models, resources, and questions intended to prompt further conversation. Teachers were expected to share their own ideas, strategies, and tools. This gave me time to confer with people individually and to sit in on conversations as a listener and participant myself.

This was my effort to strike a balance between “providing teachers stuff”, engaging them in their own learning, and expecting them to share their expertise with one another. If you’d like access to the centers, you can download them here. If you have other things to add to that space, please join and share what you can. I plan to spend some time this week adding links and web resources as well. I’m going to bet that few people will do this within the wiki though–just as few people did it within the physical centers themselves.

I wonder what would have happened if each center was absent of models and “stuff”? What if teachers visited each center to engage in discourse and reflection and share what they do? How would this have changed the experience? What kind of value would have been added? What might have been lost?

January Coach Connect

None of this happened as we transitioned toward heavier coaching. In fact, moving in that direction seemed to have the opposite effect.

Don’t get me wrong: it was hard not to want to simply ingratiate myself to folks. It was hard not to hope that passion and charisma and endless attention to a thousand different kinds of requests could be enough to motivate true change. After all, many people seemed more than happy with this approach. I learned very quickly that it wouldn’t serve anyone well in the long run, though. Experience has me concurring with Jim Knight’s assertion that heavy coaching is effective coaching. This often feels very uncomfortable though. It also requires coaches to commit to on-going self-assessment, research, and learning.

There are a few changes I’ve made as I’ve transitioned toward this model, and I’ve spent some time reflecting on the ways in which they influence motivation to participate in coaching as well as real instructional change. Here are some of the larger realizations I have taken away:

• First, I find that using formative assessment (captured during guided practice rather than with a test) engages teachers further in the coaching experience and ensures that what we learn together is sustained. It also gives us far better information about students as learners and allows us to shift practice immediately.
• I’ve learned that when we value teachers’ practice, their students, and the learning that is happening inside of their classrooms, evidence-based conversation is something that happens naturally and notions around what data are and how we use it shift in purposeful ways. Not all of the time…but certainly more often.
• Adopting a gradual release model and exposing teachers to how coaching cycles would unfold from the outset  has provided a structure that seems to ease the fear of the unknown.
• Putting common protocols in place for each phase of the work is establishing a level of equity and reinforces our common purposes as well.
• It’s important for us to assess the effectiveness of our work as coaches and the influence it may or may not have on student performance. Learning how to do that as well as we can is important.

One thing that has been particularly rewarding for me is to sit in conversation with different stakeholders who were a part of this work, reflecting on where we came from and what all of the challenges and successes have been. We have been planning to share our perspectives on the first year of this middle level literacy coaching initiative at the New York State English Council conference in Saratoga later this month. Planning has provided great opportunities to celebrate all we have accomplished and all we are eager to do in light of what we are learning along the way. If you are going to be there, please consider stopping by. I can promise you a very real conversation about our very real experiences, and we would love to include you in it.