Cohort 11: Course 2 -- Class 2

Practicum Options (Due before Class 3)

Option C: Levels of Use and Stages of Concern

Refer to the Levels of Use and Stages of Concern information (slides 17 and 18 in the presentation).

1. Have conversations with two teachers who are implementing a new curriculum or an initiative (or
even a subject that they are new to). Try to determine their Level of Use and Stage of Concern.

• Ask questions, such as,

• “How are you feeling about the new curriculum [or initiative – name it]?” “How is it
going?” “What are your concerns?”

2. Make jot notes on what you found out about the teachers’ levels of use and their stages of concern.

3. Write four to six sentences for each teacher describing where they are in their feelings/concerns
and levels of use, and describing what you might do to support each teacher through the change.

Teacher #1

Your Questions Jot Notes

Nonuse or Orientation: How did you feel before 1: Informational
we had the PD on the new writing pilot? ● positive mindset
● curious about how new writing pilot will
support workshop model

Preparation: And now that you’ve had some time 2: Persona

working with it? ● lack of embedded learning targets and
success criteria
● odd time of year to begin something new
 ● doesn’t blend with personal teaching
style
3: Management
● “I feel like I had to reinvent the wheel.”
● language is beyond students’ current
understanding; assumes a great deal of
prior knowledge
● book and reality don’t line up
4: Consequence
● differentiation is difficult; very teacher
lead
● lessons move too quickly for our
students, require constant revision
● sample texts are not culturally relevant

Mechanical Use: What is your greatest concern 3: Management

going forward? ● provided lessons for Grade 7 are done;
how do I integrate this approach into my
ideas for future units?
● So many steps!
5: Collaboration
● looking forward to working with other
teachers to refine approach; need TIME
● concerned about student teacher’s
integration into pilot, lessens ownership
of lesson planning
Summary:
This teacher’s concerns fall mainly under two categories. The first is personal, as the new pilot has
elements that are not aligned with the teacher’s usual approach. Usually, I would say that this type of
dissonance would be beneficial to promote change, but in this case it is moving the teacher away from
what I would label as best practice (student-responsive to teacher lead). Although the pilot provides a
set series of lessons to introduce the approach to students, the level of difficulty, pacing, and lack of
cultural relevance required the teacher to revise and replan all of the lessons, resulting in a huge
investment of additional personal time. Without the support of a literacy coach and literacy support
teacher, the classroom teacher feels that the new pilot would be overwhelming.
For me to best support this teacher, time would be a critical factor. She requires time to think through
the materials, collaborate with other teachers who are also piloting the program, and to adapt
materials for her students’ use. Further, to avoid a crisis of confidence, I will work with her to remind
her that she has an excellent grasp of instruction, her students’ needs, and how best to move them
forward and that this program is a layer, not a replacement, for the great work she is already doing.

Teacher #2

Your Questions Jot Notes

Preparation: How is the implementation of the
pilot going now that you’ve had some time
working with it?
3: Management
● the program is not different enough from
what we were already doing to be
worthwhile
● use of new acronyms useful for guiding
students, but can be overly complicated
● not EAL friendly
● time of year is awkward
● set up to see success regardless, as
pre-assessment is invalid
● “I haven’t learned anything new about
how to teach writing.”

Mechanical Use: What is your greatest concern 4: Consequence

going forward? ● concern about disconnect between junior
high and high school methods
● how to include workshop and inquiry
methods
● incorporating new mentors texts after
samples have been used means a lot
more work for teachers to prepare
** kids are feeling more confident approaching
prompt

Summary:
This teacher’s concerns centered mostly on how similar the new program is to the workshop model we
have currently been using. Specifically, whether the money paid for the new program could be better
spent in personnel (ie. literacy coaches and LST teachers) who would have a greater impact in the
classroom. Further, they are concerned about the lack of access for EAL students as the program does
not offer any differentiation. While acknowledging that students are feeling more confident about
approaching writing prompts, the teacher felt strongly that without embedded learning targets, visuals,
or differentiation, that this program was not worth all of the change. To support this teacher, I would
encourage them to continue collaborating with other teachers in the building who are also running the
program to improve their collective efficacy. As well, if there are even small pieces of the new program
that are benefiting students, then I would support the teacher in including those parts into their daily
lessons.