Getting Into the Classroom: Breaking Barriers to Make A Difference

Getting Into the Classroom: Breaking Barriers to Make A Difference By Jennifer Wolfe

Goals: • To provide multiple strategies to take back to the classroom • To share tips for getting into the classrooms of reluctant teachers • To offer suggestions for a variety of scenarios that present themselves within schools which prevent work with teachers

Little Books • Can be used for note taking, reviewing materials, a quiz, a handbook for students, a story board etc. • www.pocketmod.com • Create an organizer • Writing guides

Are You New to the Building? • Go from class to class meeting teachers by doing a photo staff directory for yourself/other new teachers • Sit in on various department, team, or grade level meetings and ask for time to share every month or so

Have You Been in the Building, but Changed Positions? • Start by asking your friends to have you in to boost your confidence • Use your knowledge of the school climate to work for something reluctant groups may desire (math specialist in my case) • DON’T share any negative interaction with others in the building! You are the reading specialist not the town crier

Begin by Sharing Easy Strategies • Think-pair-share • Word sorts • Vocabulary ideas like: I have…who has… • Structured discussions • Read-rephrase-record • Listen and respond • Little Book • www.childrenslibrary.org

Difficult Teachers • Empathy is key • Find them during plan time (corner them if you will) • Again, offer quick and easy ideas for them and offer to model the lesson • Set up some type of accountability with the administration, but do not share what happened while you were in the room with the teacher

Difficult Teachers Continued • Offer to let that person observe you in your classroom anytime • Be positive and have a thick skin! • Give the person time to digest your suggestions, but follow up within a week or so to hold them accountable • Really focus on the positive when you do your post observation meeting

Scenario 1: The Helpless Teacher A teacher in your building frequently utilizes your services even though you have modeled the same lesson or strategy several times. It seems that this person would rather have you do the work for the lesson rather than doing it him/herself. What do you do?

Possible Solutions • Hold the teacher accountable for the next lesson you are asked to “create” by letting the teacher know that you will model the lesson again, but then you would like to observe to see what the teacher still needs from you. • Let the teacher know that part of your job is to model a lesson to empower the teacher for the next time.

Scenario 2: The Crab • Part of your job as the literacy coach is to work with all teachers in your building, but one particular teacher is less than enthusiastic about working with you. How can you persuade this grumpy teacher to give you a chance?

Possible Solutions • This is where administrator support is key. Without this, there is not much to be done. Sometimes pushing too hard can even draw intervention from the teachers’ union, so be careful. • This could be a case of I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine; meaning, see if you can help the crabby teacher achieve a goal or resolve a complaint he/she has in the building.

Scenario 3: The Know-it-all • A teacher with 18 years of experience is having you in the classroom for the first time. This teacher is known around the building as the know-it-all who loves to give advice about teaching but has a tough time taking constructive criticism. How can you give this teacher necessary feedback?

Possible Solutions • Go in to the situation with an open mind; maybe your experience with this teacher will be different. Make sure to have a new idea or strategy to share with this teacher; there may be something he/she has not seen  • Be honest and helpful in your critique; even if the teacher does not follow your advice, it is your job to give appropriate feedback to the teacher.

Scenario 4: The Shy Pro. • One of the teachers you are to work with is an excellent teacher with years of successful experience, but he/she will not invite you into his/her room. What can you do to get in to coach?

Possible Solutions • Again, this is where support from the administration is key. Also, talk to this expert and let him/her know you would like to see how they teach a particular strategy so that you can share it with less experienced teachers. • Maybe this could be a way to pass on the role of instructional coach to others in the building. Share with the teacher that you would like to have him/her assist with other teachers in the building as a result of his/her skill.

Scenario 5: The School With Low Morale. • You have been hired as the literacy specialist in a building that has not met AYP in the last 5 years. Your job is to help with the restructuring process and many teachers are not happy about the help you plan to offer. What can you do to win over the faculty?

Possible Solutions • Again, thick skin is key, especially in this type of environment. A positive attitude is so important, and make sure to find out the needs of the school and be out in the open so that teachers can see the difference you are making. Staying in your office will be suicide in this type of situation; get out in the public eye so that everyone can see why your position is necessary.

Any Questions?

Thank You! jwolfe@cusd200.org

Getting Into the Classroom: Breaking Barriers to Make A Difference