Running head: FINAL COACHING REFLECTION PAPER

Final Coaching Reflection Paper Kath !" #a$$ %ece&'er ()* )+(, -ni.er$it of Te/a$ at 0an Antonio

FINAL COACHING REFLECTION PAPER Final Coaching Reflection Paper Cogniti.e coaching i$ a &odel for teacher $uper.i$ion* de.eloped ' Arthur Co$ta and Ro'ert Gar&$ton* that in.ol.e$ con.er$ation$ a'out planning* reflecting* and pro'le& $ol.ing that $er.e$ to enhance teacher1$ cogniti.e proce$$e$" 2Re$earch indicate$ that teaching i$ a co&ple/ intellectual acti.it and that teacher$ 3ho thing at higher le.el$ produce $tudent$ 3ho are higher achie.ing* &ore cooperati.e* and 'etter pro'le& $ol.er$4 5Co$ta* The purpo$e of thi$ paper i$ t3ofold: to e/plain literac coaching and to de$cri'e & e/perience a$ a literac coach in a graduate $e&inar" The Literacy Coach

My Coaching Experience 6 literac coaching e/perience 3a$ enlightening and* at ti&e$* a little di$appointing" It 3a$ &uch harder than I thought it 3ould 'e" There are $e.eral factor$ that contri'ute to thi$ feeling" The ti&e allotted for 3ee7l coaching $e$$ion$ 3a$ not 3ell utili8ed at fir$t" One of & &entee $tudent$* 6and 5p$eudon &9* 3ould arri.e late* $pend ti&e 3aiting to confer 3ith her teacher* or run to the 'athroo& 'efore 3e could get $tarted 3hich left u$ little ti&e for our pre: conference a'out the planned le$$on" The le$$on plan$ 3ere not al3a $ $ent prior to cla$$ $o the fe3 &inute$ left 3ere u$ed ;uic7l $canning the propo$ed le$$on plan in order to 7no3 3hat to di$cu$$ 'efore the tutee arri.ed" After her $e$$ion* 6and 3ould deli.er her tutee to the guardian and not return for $e.eral &inute$* again lea.ing little ti&e for po$t:conference di$cu$$ion" I felt I did not ha.e a handle on the$e conference$ and 3or7ed to ta7e a &ore acti.e leader$hip role in $u'$e;uent $e$$ion$ to i&pro.e the u$e of ti&e" I do not feel & coaching 2ad.ice4 3a$ al3a $ con$idered" Thi$ contri'uted &ore to & o3n fru$tration than it did their$" 6 &entee$ 3ere in a

FINAL COACHING REFLECTION PAPER po$ition to follo3 their o3n profe$$or1$ directi.e$ in choo$ing focu$ $trategie$ 3hich &a ha.e differed fro& & $ugge$tion$" Pre:$er.ice teacher$ are in a hard po$ition to follo3 their o3n 'elief$ and practice$ 3hen $tudent teaching" The learn inno.ati.e $trategie$ in $chool and are enthu$ia$tic a'out u$ing the& 3ith their $tudent$* and then are paired 3ith a cooperating 2old $chool4 $t le teacher 3ho 'elie.e$ in u$ing the 2tried and true4 &ethod$ of in$truction" The $tudent:teacher$ often $uccu&' to thi$ influence and teach 3ith the $a&e $trategie$ in order to recei.e good report$ 5#ean* )+++9" 6 &entee$ 3ere in a $i&ilar $ituation ha.ing t3o people gi.ing the& differing infor&ation" 6o$t of the le$$on plan$ focu$ed on the $a&e co&prehen$ion $7ill e.en though the tutee had a clear under$tanding of the concept and could ha.e 'enefitted fro& in$truction in different area$" The logi$tic$ of the tutoring $e$$ion$ 3a$ another $ource of fru$tration" The ideal $ituation 3ould ha.e 'een a paired coach:&entee<tutor:tutee 3hich &et 3ee7l " The difference in our cla$$ $i8e$ and the li$t of a.aila'le tutee$ did not allo3 for thi$ pairing* in$tead* t3o tutor$ 3ere a$$igned to each coach and tutee" I do not feel an of u$ 'enefitted a$ &uch a$ 3e could ha.e" I do not 7no3 ho3 &uch colla'oration the paired tutor$ had on le$$on planning" I thin7 it 3ould ha.e 'een &ore 'eneficial for the tutor$ to ha.e co:

taught the tutee in$tead of onl e.er other $e$$ion" The could then ha.e o'$er.ed fir$t hand the 3ee7l progre$$ of the tutee and colla'orated on planning future le$$on$" The non:tutoring &entee arri.ed for the po$t:conference $e$$ion 3hich ga.e the& in$ight a$ to the $tudent1$ perfor&ance" I $ee&ed to lo$e control in thi$ $ituation al$o" =hen #onnie 5p$eudon &9 >oined u$ for the fir$t de'rief* 6and 'egan tal7ing to her and di$cu$$ing the $e$$ion and I had difficult regaining her attention to conduct the po$t:conference" That i$ an i$$ue I need to deal 3ith" I 3ant to li$ten to the need$ of the teacher* 'ut if I can1t a$7 ;ue$tion$ ho3 3ill I 7no3 3hat their need$ are? I feel I had &ore control of thi$ in later $e$$ion$ 'ut $till need to 3or7 on 'eing &ore

FINAL COACHING REFLECTION PAPER a$$erti.e"

An i&portant characteri$tic of leader$hip i$ 'eing a'le to 3or7 3ith all per$onalit t pe$" 6 t3o &entee $tudent$ 3ere .er different in per$onalit " 6and 3a$ .er 'oi$terou$" Her lo.e of reading ca&e through in her pre$entation to her tutee* 'ut that $a&e enthu$ia$& left &e .er concerned 3ith her fir$t $e$$ion" 0he cho$e the te/t for the le$$on 'a$ed on her o3n lo.e of the 'oo7 7no3ing the reading le.el 3a$ 3a too high for her tutee 5'a$ed on her initial a$$e$$&ent9" 0he read &o$t of the 'oo7 'efore letting the tutee read" =e di$cu$$ed appropriate reading le.el$ 3hich 3ould allo3 the $tudent to do &ore of the reading" The ne/t 'oo7 $he cho$e 3a$ al&o$t t3o grade le.el$ lo3er* again 'ecau$e it 3a$ one of her fa.orite$" 6and 3a$ al3a $ read to lea.e a$ $oon a$ ti&e 3a$ called and re&inded &e of teacher$ 3ho are the fir$t one$ to the par7ing lot 3hen the 'ell ring$" 0he* in &ore than one con.er$ation 5unrelated to our coaching $e$$ion9* $tated the fact that $he reall doe$n1t li7e an one telling her 3hat to do" I feel thi$ per$onalit trait &a cau$e her pro'le&$ in a teaching po$ition 3here there are $o &an $tate and di$trict &andate$" =ith 6and 1$ 'ounc per$onalit * I feel $he &a 'e 'e$t $uited to teaching in the earl grade$" #onnie1$ per$onalit 3a$ &ore li7e &ine and 3e 3ere a'le to engage in &ore con$tructi.e con.er$ation$" 0he $ee&ed to 'e &ore attenti.e and open to & feed'ac7 and $ugge$tion$" Her le$$on plan$ and tutoring $e$$ion$ 3ere .er good and I felt I had little to offer in the 3a of i&pro.e&ent" 0he allo3ed the tutee &ore engage&ent in the reading proce$$* although $he had a tendenc to continue a$7ing co&prehen$ion ;ue$tion$ 3hen I felt the tutee alread $ho3ed a good gra$p of the concept$" In our conference$* #onnie reflected on the $e$$ion and pointed out concern$ 3ith the tutee1$ perfor&ance a$ 3ell a$ 3ith her teaching $trategie$" Her co&&ent$ $ho3ed &e that $he ha$ a caring attitude to3ard the education of her $tudent$* and that $he i$ a3are of her o3n need$ in her in$tructional $trategie$"

FINAL COACHING REFLECTION PAPER

I thin7 3or7ing in a literac po$ition 3ill 'e a lot different than thi$ coaching e/perience" I 3ill under$tand the coaching proce$$ 'etter 3hen I can put it into dail practice" In & la$t teaching po$ition* I &entored ne3 teacher$ on our ca&pu$ and 3a$ 3illing to o'$er.e teaching $e$$ion$ and offer $ugge$tion$ 3hen a$7ed" 0ince lea.ing that po$ition t3o ear$ ago* I find & $elf ha.ing to thin7 &ore a'out 3hich $trateg 3ould 3or7 'e$t and ho3 it 3ould pla out in each $ituation" A$ a coach* I 3ill 'e a'le to ha.e &ore interaction 3ith & &entee" =or7ing 3ith a pre:$er.ice teacher for )A &inute$ once e.er other 3ee7 $ee&ed di$>ointed" I thin7 I ha.e a good 'alance in & $tance 'et3een re$pon$i.e and directi.e coaching" Ippolito 5)+(+9 define$ the$e $tance$ a$ 2coaching for teacher $elf:reflection4 5re$pon$i.e9 and 2coaching for the i&ple&entation of particular practice$4 5directi.e9" In & coaching o'$er.ation note$ $ent to the &entee$* I tried to 'e a$ detailed and thorough a$ I could a'out the $e$$ion$" I 'riefl $u&&ari8ed the pre:conference $e$$ion* ga.e po$iti.e o'$er.ational feed'ac7 on the tutoring $e$$ion* and re$tated point$ &ade ' the tutor in the $e$$ion de'rief" Then in$tead of $a ing* 2I thin7 ou $hould u$e thi$ $trateg *4 I u$e a co&'ined re$pon$i.e:directi.e approach ' po$ing ;ue$tion$ for the& to reflect on that 3ill guide the& to u$e the $trategie$ I feel 3ill 'e &ore 'eneficial for their $tudent$" I tr to get the& to under$tand the how and why of teaching i$ a$ i&portant a$ 7no3ing what to teach"

FINAL COACHING REFLECTION PAPER

Reference$ Allen* !" 5)++B9" Becoming a literacy leader: Supporting learning and change. Portland* 6E: 0tenhou$e Pu'li$her$" #ean* T" =" 5)+++9" Reading in the content area$: 0ocial con$tructi.i$t di&en$ion$" In 6" L" Ka&il* P" #" 6o$enthal* P" %" Pear$on* C R" #arr 5Ed$"9 Handbook of reading research Volume 3 5pp"B)D:B@@9" 6ah3ah* N!: La3rence Erl'au& A$$ociate$" Co$ta* A" L"* C Gar&$ton* R" !" 5)++)9" Cognitive coaching: foundation for renaissance

schools. Nor3ood* 6A: Chri$topher:Gordon Pu'li$her$* Inc" %uff * G" G" 5)++D9" !"plaining reading: a resource for teaching concepts# skills# and strategies. Ne3 Eor7* NE: The Guilford Pre$$" Ippolito* !" 5)+()9" Three 3a $ that literac coache$ 'alance re$pon$i.e and directi.e relation$hip$ 3ith teacher$" $he !lementary School %ournal# &&&5(9* (B@:(D+" Retrie.ed fro& http:<<333">$tor"org<$ta'le<(+"(+FB<BA,@G@ !ohn$ton* P" H" 5)++@9" Choice 3ord$: How our language affects children's learning. Portland* 6E: 0tenhou$e Pu'li$her$"