[Understand] Reading Specialists in Literacy Studio

[Palmer, Jennifer]

Phyllis
I am not Title one, but I am a reading specialist in a support position. We came to believe at our school that the most effective way to help teachers learn and grow was to teach side by side with them. I am given 4 teachers at different grade levels to work with directly each year. I am also given once a week planning time with each of those teachers. We plan and teach side by side. Coteaching looks very different depending on comfort levels of those I am working with, but we can sometimes both teach the whole group at the same time, other times one of us will teach the whole group and the other will assess students through observations. Other times we will break the class into two and teach the same thing...just to a smaller group of students...still other times we will differentiate instruction and I will teach one concept to a group of kids and my colleague will teach a different concept to another group. In still other classes, we are closer to a reading workshop model where either or both of us will teach a brief whole group (crafting) session and then we will both do reading conferences while students read independently. 
 
This model works very well because responsibility is completely shared. We do parent conferences, grading, planning, teaching together. As a result, we both learn from each other, have the opportunity to practice new teaching techniques with a supportive colleague right there to answer questions and  with two of us in the class we can really meet the needs of a variety of students with greater ease. 
 
I believe that I do as much to build teacher capacity as I do student learning. AND, I learn a great deal myself from teaching this way instead of in a traditional support role. Having done this for going on seven years now, I would never do it any other way.
 
 
Jennifer Palmer
Reading Specialist, National Board Certified Teacher
FLES- Lead the discovery, Live the learning, Love the adventure.
"Children grow into the intellectual life around them."
                                                               -Vygotsky
 

________________________________

From: understand-bounces at literacyworkshop.org on behalf of Phyllis Hinerman
Sent: Sun 8/31/2008 8:45 PM
To: understand blog
Subject: [Understand] Reading Specialists in Literacy Studio



Do any of you hold Title 1 reading specialist positions where you support teachers in their classrooms?  How do you fit into (or support) the teaching in classrooms using Ellin Keene's Literacy Studio approach?

Several of us are beginning our year with teachers who are intent on putting Literacy Studio into practice and we have so many questions.  We'd appreciate help from others in similar positions.

Phyllis


     

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