Literacy Coaching Project 1

Literacy Coaching Project

Mariel R. Renon

University of Hawaii
Literacy Coaching Project 2

Abstract

This paper explores what it is like to be a literacy coach. This project was to work

and support a teacher as they experience their struggles with students in the area of

literacy. A coaching session and multiple activities were implemented with the coaching

partner and enacting literacy coach. The question that was asked and the basis for this

project was: When you think about teaching reading and writing that you want your

students to do and the teaching that you want to do, what gets in your way?

Introduction

“Coaching is about listening and learning first and telling only occasionally and

after ensuring that it is the best option at the moment,” (Toll, 2014). I was very fortunate

to find a colleague who taught at the same school as I, who was very open to wanting

me to practice being a literacy coach. The teacher I worked with is named Miguel and

he as been teaching in the Hawaii Department of Education for nine years within the

Campbell and Kapolei complex. Miguel has taught six years of resource, three years of

fully self-contained, and four years inclusion. Within those years that he has taught, six

of those years are from teaching both resource and inclusion and for these past three

years, he has been teaching at the same school as me. All the schools he has taught at

has been Title one schools.

Miguel is currently a second grade special education inclusion teacher who had

switched grade levels in the middle of the year. Prior, he was a fourth grade inclusion

special education teacher. The switch was made due to the difficult case load within

second grade. The Educational Assistant that was in that classroom, also moved with

the new teacher to the fourth grade class.

Literacy Coaching Project 3

Being that Miguel is an experienced teacher and according to Bean’s chart, I

provided him a majority of literacy support from the level two coaching. However, even

though it is geared more towards new teachers, I also provided two things from the level

one of coaching. Even though he is an experienced teacher, due to numerous limiting

outside factors, I was not able to offer and provide any level three coaching.

Pre-Coaching Session

Miguel and I are from two different grade levels, so we did not have any breaks

at the same time except for recess and after school, permitting that we did not have any

other obligations to take care of. For the pre-coaching session, Miguel and I were able

to meet during recess for this pre-coaching session.

“The coaching conversation is the heart of a literacy coach’s work,” (Toll, 2014).

During the pre-coaching session, I asked Miguel the following question: “When you

think about teaching reading and writing that you want your students to do and the

teaching that you want to do, what gets in your way?” (See Appendix A for question

notes summarized on a PowerPoint slide).

Miguel shared that the issues were: enough time, struggling for his special

education students to keep up with the general education curriculum, the need for

having an extra body in the classroom to provide extra support for his students, and

wanting strategies on struggling readers, dyslexic readers, and on comprehension. In

our conversation though, he did mention that the response to intervention block is used

consistently for skills and that he has a great inclusion marriage with his co-teacher.
Literacy Coaching Project 4

Narrowing down on what Miguel wanted to focus on and what he viewed as what

gets in his way for his students to do the reading and writing he wants them to do was 1.

Time to pull struggling students and 2. Having an extra body to pull a small group.

Being that we are in the same school and department, we already had an unfair

advantage, so to speak because we have worked together for two years.

As a literacy coach for this project, I wanted to interact with his students, as well

as doing this with a mindset that I will do as much as I can to support his areas of

concern.

Coaching Description

“The teacher, however, is ultimately responsible for the day-to-day planning,

instruction, and ongoing informal assessments and observations to ensure the students’

needs are being met,” (Allen, 2016). Due to Miguel’s focus on time and having an extra

body, I offered to work with his students. It ended up where I worked with one of his

lower special education students. Miguel had shared that even though the response to

intervention block was utilized at its fullest, it was not enough for struggling students.

This required Miguel to work with his students or student before school, if they were

early birds, or even during recess time.

From the level two of coaching, I was able to do a coaching session and

unfortunately not an observation. I was able to take a picture of the classroom layout

really quickly. (See Appendix B for classroom layout picture) Being in the mindset of a

literacy coach, I wanted to experience working with Miguel’s struggling students. I was

only able to consistently work with his lower struggling student. During two recesses

and part of my lunch block, I was able to administer a CVC spelling test, Orton-
Literacy Coaching Project 5

Gillingham lesson, and a Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). All of these were

things that Miguel normally tries to do consistently with his special education students.

Even though he is in an inclusion classroom, when I asked him the question in the pre-

coaching session, his answers were in reflection of his special education students. (See

Appendix C for student work)

Suggested Instructional Literacy Methods

Miguel is a special education teacher, so mandatory school wide assessments

have already been given. Assessments that all students in the classroom take such as

the STAR Universal Screener. Assessments that special education students need to

take prior to the start of the school year and their annual individualized education plan

meeting such as the Wide Range Achievement Test and the Group Reading

Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation.

Students already have an individualized education plan, so their strengths and

needs were already listed and being addressed by Miguel even before I asked to work

with him specifically for this project.

I continued with the literacy practices that he was implementing, even though due

to time, was not as consistent as he liked. Having given a cvc spelling test and a DRA

(grade level equivalent kindergarten), it was apparent that this student was a struggling

reader and writer, being two grade levels below where students this age should be.

Explicit direct instruction was definitely needed for this struggling student. I was

able to assist Miguel by giving an Orton-Gillingham lesson to this student. Even though

it was only one time and during part of my lunch break, it would have been nice if I was
Literacy Coaching Project 6

an actual literacy coach or support teacher because I would try to find a way to use my

Orton-Gillingham skills with students like these.

Miguel was very open to the articles that I sent him regarding struggling readers,

dyslexic readers, and comprehension skills. It was beneficial that I did my professional

identity choice project with the websites Edutopia and Teaching Channel. Articles that I

sent him, were not only for his needs, but I also found myself learning and being

interested.

Cultural and Language Needs; Caring Literacy Community

Even though this was a literacy coaching project, being a special education

teacher will always find its way out. Talking to Miguel, you can tell that he truly wanted

his students to be successful in reading and writing. Even though he was frustrated that

his students were not where they should be, he was doing all he could to get them

there. He would work with them during recess or even before school started. This made

me realize that he sacrificed his own break time and teacher preparation time to help his

students. The different assessments that he allowed me to do with his student was

diverse in helping his student to be successful in the literacy community, by touching

base of the big 5 - phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and

comprehension. Although it was at the students functional level, it was still needed and

hopefully will close that achievement gap.

Instructional Materials and Literacy Resources

The assessments administered, were the ones that were mandatory for our

special education department. No summative assessments were given for this project,
Literacy Coaching Project 7

but I was able to do formative assessments through the cvc spelling test and

developmental reading assessment.

Articles from Edutopia and Teaching Channel were given to Miguel. Even though

I had mentioned that it was free and all that was needed was to make an account,

Miguel did not create one during this project. However, I did tell him that if he ever had a

question that he wanted to seek out answers from teachers around the world, I would

be more than happy to ask it on his behalf on an online question and answer section

online.

Post-Coaching Session

Meeting with Miguel, he was very appreciative of the time I spent to work with his

well below special education student. He also enjoyed the articles that I shared with

him. Sadly, finding time and the extra help was still a struggle, but we both knew and

agreed that our school should lessen on procedures and tasks that could free up a lot of

time in the classroom.

Although the project is over, we talked about some next steps. Miguel and I will

continue to share resources, talk story about the student I worked with (I would love to

know how this student is faring and would love to go in and actually observe his class).

Miguel will try to utilize the student teacher in his class and even entertained the idea of

setting certain days to work with specific students which is something that I would like to

try.

Reflection

I was very lucky to have a colleague at the same school helping me with this

project. Miguel showed no resistance, but I think that has to do with the fact that we
Literacy Coaching Project 8

worked together for three years now. It also helped that he already knew the about the

graduate program that I was going through and seemed interested when I would share

any textbook or article assignment readings.

Having done the identity project first really allowed me to provide Miguel with

online literacy resources. It worked out really well, that he and I will continue to share

any resources that we find, whether it be articles or videos to help with our teaching. We

also did not limit ourselves to just sending one another literacy related resources.

Even though it was frustrating because I still had to take care of my caseload of

special education students and other responsibilities of the grade level and/or special

education department, it allowed me to reflect and wonder how would I organize

providing help with multiple groups and individuals as a literacy coach. I concluded that I

need to see how it is actually done with an actual coach.

There were challenges as well while doing this project. First, even though Miguel

wanted help with time, time was really difficult for both of us. Meaning, that we each

were from different grade levels so there were times that preparing for an IEP meeting

or doing grade level responsibilities took precedence.

It was a challenge at some moments when I had to be serious with Miguel. Doing

this project with someone you know and work with has its positives, but I think Miguel

and I were too comfortable with one another at times that I had to remind him that this is

for my class and a project. There were moments too when we would get caught up

venting about the lack of support our school has.

Although Miguel is in an inclusion classroom, I worked with one of his special

education student and his needs when I asked the question in the pre-coaching session
Literacy Coaching Project 9

pertained to his caseload of special education students. These students were already

identified as special needs with an individualized education plan of strengths and needs

already in practice. I wondered what it would have been like if I went to a non-inclusion

classroom and worked with struggling readers who were identified in tier 2 or tier 3.

I need to remember that if I become a literacy coach, I am not going to have the

answers right away or “clear cut” goals from individuals. This is where collaboration is

key and that if something does not work out, it is not the end and it can be tried again

and differently.

This project was confusing, stressful, and weird at times due to who I decided to

work with and the outside responsibilities that needed to be taken care of along side of

the tasks for this project.

It is sad to say, but I feel confirmed that there is no support for teachers and even

struggling students at my school. Sure, there are many teachers like Miguel who give up

their free time to help students (sometimes it may be just one), but these students need

explicit direct instruction. This type of instruction should be done with the non-classroom

support teachers who say what should be done, but in actuality go in the classroom and

use their expertise to work with the struggling readers and writers.

My one big belief or take away of literacy coaching is that you provide support for

others to be successful. If others are successful, I will feel successful as a literacy

coach. I really will try to find a coach that I can observe, as my school lacks such a

thing.
Literacy Coaching Project
10
“No matter how much you may disagree with other educators about teaching

practices, classroom management, assessment, or anything else, what you have in

common with them is that you all care about students,” (Toll, 2014).
Literacy Coaching Project
11
Appendix

Appendix A - Question and Notes (Clean Powerpoint version)

Pre-Coaching Session conversation with coaching partner. Blue - literacy coach

questions/responses, green coaching partner responses.
Literacy Coaching Project
12
Appendix B - Classroom Layout

Where Miguel pulls a small group or work Classroom is set in rows, desks facing
1:1 with a student. one way. Limited space due to class
being in a portable.

Appendix C - Student Work

Orton-Gillingham lesson I
CVC spelling - Out of 20 did with student. Per DRA level 8 lesson with
given words, student teacher, focused on student. Student passed -
scored 60% of it correctly. sounds through -ng. independent level.
Literacy Coaching Project
13
References

Allen, J. (2016). Becoming a Literacy Leader Second Edition. Portland, ME: Stenhouse

Publishers.

Toll, C. (2014). The Literacy Coach’s Survival Guide: Essential Questions and Practical

Answers. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.