JEN MUNNERLYN
WWW.LITERACYBYTES.COM
NOTES FROM THE
LIT COACH
AMERICAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF ABU DHABI, UAE- NOVEMBER 2010
NESA- The
best regional
conference
EVER!
There are so many things to say about
NESA. However, I think the most
important is that compared to other
regional conferences I’ve been to, it is by
far BEST.
Here are a few reasons for that:
• Amazing, top-notch presenters who are
at the forefront of the work in education.
• Those same presenters make it seem
doable and not just “educational theory”
real-world schools would never be able to
execute.
• NESA gives us time to learn. All main
day sessions last 4 hours. That means
we have time to listen, try, and even
apply new knowledge.
I am attending the NESA Winter Institute
in Doha with several teachers in January.
Can’t wait!
Steven Farr
As chief knowledge
officer, STEVEN FARR
leads Teach For
America's study of the
distinguishing
strategies of highly
effective teachers in
low-income
communities. Those findings, which inform the
organization's teacher selection, training, and
support, are featured in Mr Farr's new book,
Teaching As Leadership:The Highly Effective Teacher's
Guide to Closing the Achievement Gap, and an
annotated archive of videos, how-to guides,
common pitfalls and resources at
www.teachingasleadership.org.
Jen and Jane
As you know, Jane and I presented at We pulled it off.
the NESA Fall Leadership conference
There were 2 best moments of the
in Kathmandu, Nepal. We were
work for me.
scheduled for the last day, final
session, and final hour of the 1. During and throughout the other
conference. All in all, our presentation NESA presentations I heard the word
went pretty well, considering many “coach” backed up with the need for
people had already left the us to consider how teachers learn.
conference. Aside from the typical
last minute crises... We need tape!? 2. After our presentation, several
No one is going to come!? Too many people said they learned a lot from
people are going to come! What if we us.
don’t say the right thing?
That means something. :-)
MY NESA FAVORITES: See my blog
for more details about the
presentations...
Tom Guskey Jay McTighe
Many professional What’s My Job as a
developers today are Teacher (When I
being asked to show that Am NOT with
what they do makes a Students)?
difference. Stakeholders
at all levels want to In their book, Schooling
know if investments in by Design (ASCD, 2007),
professional Wiggins and McTighe
development truly result contend that some
in improvement in the teachers and administrators misunderstand their
practices of educators and, jobs. In this thought-provoking presentation, we'll
ultimately, in the performance of students. This examine three related "job" questions:
institute explores factors that contribute to the
effectiveness of professional development and 1. What's the job of a teacher when he/she is
outlines the various levels professional working with students in the classroom? 2. What's
development evaluation. the job of a teacher when he/she is not teaching
3. What's the job of an academic leader?
November Meeting
Dates NEW BOOKS
We had what felt like a thousand Reality Checks and Is That a Fact by Tony Stead- Highly recommended
meetings in October. Here is what I reading for teachers prior to teaching nonfiction units in reading.We
have for this month: will be using bits of these in reading curriculum meetings.

Tuesday, November 2, 23, 30-

3:30-4:30: Lucy’s Reading UOS
videos... watch and discuss. Optional
but OPEN TO ALL- especially grades
3-5! *THIS IS NEW!- Please let me know if you
will attend so I can plan for seats.

Wednesday, November 10-

1:30-3:00 K-5 Word Study Meeting-
review, reflect, switch up word study
tools

Thursday, Nov. 11- Time TBD- ERD

w/Regie Routman and Early
Childhood Meeting

Monday November 29- 1:30-3:00: K-2 Writing Team Meeting to specifically discuss the unit Authors as Mentors.
1:30-3:00 (I’ve been asked to hold this meeting.)

NEW TO NOTE: MONTHLY COACHING MENU

While planning for our presentation for NESA, I had some
time to reflect on what I need to get better at as a coach. NOVEMBER COAC
HING
Quite simply, I need to practice coaching into classrooms MENU
using known coaching tools to help me. (I’ve had the Conferring
with
Confidence

training, but no practice.) Up to this point, we have been so
Picking up the mini
very busy as a group getting the pieces in place to lesson
pace

effectively launch and learn the components of workshop, Using data to pull,
plan
for , and teach str
we weren’t really ready as a school for me to come in and groups

ategy
coach as my primary focus. While the meetings (planning OTHER ?
and deep thinking work) will continue, I am hoping to focus
more on coaching-in beginning this November.

Here is my plan: During the month of November, I would like to work with someone
at each grade level. We will work on one of the menu items above; planning for our
work using the documents attached. I can coach in on Reading and Writing now, but I
would like to wait for work on Word Study until probably fourth quarter. If time permits,
I would like to work with as many teachers as possible, but the goal of 6 is a start.

Let me know who is IN.

Reading Workshop...
Children Engage in
Ongoing Reading Work;
Teacher Engages is
Conferring and Small-
Group Work
•••
“The simplicity and
predictability of the
workshop is important
precisely so that teachers
are freed from constant
choreographing and are able
to observe, to listen, to
assess, and to teach into
each students’ zone of
proximal development....the
teacher circulates. She pulls
close to observe, mulls over
what is and is not working,
Q1 REPORT CARD
CORRELATIONS:
I will be following up with
grade level teams the first
week of November to get your
revised drafts for the report
card correlations. If you want
to simply give me the changes
I will key them in. Drop dead
date: Nov. 11
and intervenes to coach,
demonstrate, encourage, and
celebrate with individuals
and small groups. This
teaching may reinforce the
minilesson, or it might
address a child or a group of
children’s unique needs and
goals. The teaching in a
conference or a small group,
like the teaching that occurs
within minilessons, aims to
support not just today’s
work, but also that child’s
reading from now on.
(Transferable skills.)
... In a day, a teacher will
move among many
readers, helping many to
settle and channeling
many toward work the
teacher believes will be
helpful. Then the teacher
is apt to lead a four- or
five-minute conference
with two or three
individual readers or
Q2 REPORT CARD
CORRELATIONS:
This first draft is due to me
on November 8th. I will
compile what I get from grade
level teams into a K-5 vertical
document and get it back to
you ASAP. Please complete
the “simple correlation sheet”
provided in the Sept. ERD
follow-up email. :-)
partnerships of readers and
to coach a small group or
two. By this time, the
teacher generally needs to
address the whole class,
usually through a mid-
workshop teaching point
that sometimes channels
kids to work with a partner
for a few minutes before they
resume reading--and the
teacher resumes teaching.”
p. 15 From A Guide to the
Reading Workshop Grades 3-5
by Lucy Calkins
“...if you are a teacher wh
o
wears your love of books
on your sleeve--then this
will make an
extraordinary difference
in your teaching.” p. 29
Q1- VERTICAL REVIEW
Q3- DRAFTING
In Reading and Writing Team
meetings in either December
or January we will review Q1
changes for vertical strength.
At the Dec. 16th ERD I will
provide the Q3 Correlation
forms. Those will be due to
me February 6th.