Lead Literacy Teacher Professional Development

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Lead Literacy TeacherProfessional Development

• September 13, 14, 15, 20, 21

Chicago Public Schools Office of Literacy 9 - 12
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LLT PD AgendaDay 2 September 14, 2004

• Morning
• How do I enter the school community?
• Afternoon
• What might my next four weeks look like?

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How do I enter the school community?
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Purpose

• To identify oneself in terms of experience
• To use an ORID to develop a common understanding
  of effective strategies for beginning work as a
  Lead Literacy Teacher
• To cooperatively identify effective action steps
  in response to possible scenarios

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Task 1 Getting Acquainted

• On the Experiential Continuum Where Do I Fit?
  form, circle the number above the description
  that best portrays your situation.
• On a half-sheet of paper, write the number you
  selected on the continuum.
• Without speaking, group yourself with three other
  Lead Literacy Teachers who have different numbers.

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Task 1 Getting Acquainted

• Once your group is formed, use the same side of
  the half-sheet to write two words that
• begin with the first letter of your given name
• describe strengths you bring to the group.

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Task 2 Gaining Access

• Using the ORID template, begin the process of
  examining the Guiding Question
• What are the most effective ways to achieve full
  access to and begin working with our content
  colleagues as an LLT?

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Task 2 Gaining Access

• ORID
• Observational the what
• Reflective the so what
• Interpretational the gut
• Decisional the now what

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Task 2 Gaining Access

• On a sheet of paper, individually complete the
  first component of the ORID and share your
  thoughts within your group before moving on to
  the next component.
• Observational Describe a situation when someone
  came into your classroom to help you.
• Reflective How did the visit make you feel? What
  was the most surprising aspect of the visit? How
  do you find yourself reacting to the memory of
  the classroom visits?
• Interpretational What conclusions can you draw
  about the most effective methods people use to
  enter classrooms?
• Decisional Identify three to five areas you must
  consider to effectively work with your content
  colleagues.

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Task 2 Gaining Access

• In your small group, brainstorm a list of the
  most effective ways to achieve full access and
  begin working with content colleagues.
• Write the three most effective ways to achieve
  access, one each on half-sheets provided.
  Facilitator will collect and post these on a
  sticky board.
• As whole group, with the help of the facilitator,
  List-Group-Label the suggestions.

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Break

• Take 15.

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Task 3 Possible Scenarios

• In your small group, read and discuss the
  supplied scenarios.
• Share with whole group.

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Scenario 1

• You have taught English for many years. You have
  just earned your reading endorsement and have
  been appointed the Lead Literacy Teacher in the
  same school you have been working in. You are
  considered by your colleagues to be a good
  teacher, but you have not really taken a
  leadership role in the school before.
• The first group of teachers you have been
  scheduled to assist is the science department.
  The group has many long-tenured male teachers
  with a few young teachers new to the school.
• What is your plan to begin your work as LLT?

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Scenario 1 Recommended Resolution

• Attend the science dept. meeting
• Establish rapport in our new role
• Clarify our new roles
• Plan and implement literacy goal
• Actively listen to concerns of dept.
• Respect their expertise
• Start with course level teams
• Find out what they know, what you can do what
  they can accomplish

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Scenario 2

• You have worked as a classroom teacher and
  reading specialist at the school to which you
  have been assigned as an LLT. You have a clear
  notion of your mission as LLT based on the Lead
  Literacy Teacher Job Description, which includes
  your assisting the efforts of the content area
  teachers in content area literacy integration by
  going into content classrooms and coaching
  teachers.
• Your principal has a completely different idea of
  what your role should be. He feels that you
  should be the reading specialist who pulls-out
  the lowest readers to improve their skills. He
  has ordered test prep materials and wants to see
  the scores rise. He will hold you responsible to
  make sure this happens.
• How would you handle this situation?

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Scenario 2 Recommended Resolution

• Meet with Principal to review and discuss job
  description
• Make suggestions for before and after school
  program provide models
• Suggest for counselor to take over testing and/or
  coach teachers for testing and pull-out
• Office of Literacy to clarify roles of LLT

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Scenario 3

• You have come into your new school and have been
  given a wealth of resources (equipment, books,
  supplies) and a large workspace. Your peers are
  jealous. What would you do to win them over?

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Scenario 3 Recommended Resolution

• Listen to their concerns, validate them and
  acknowledge what they are feeling is real.
• Share resources with others
• Create space within a space to build rapport
• Learn to know faculty and reasons why they feel
  jealous
• Be politically correct in listening and sharing
• Have open door policy
• Dont water your rocks, water your roses.

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Scenario 4

• Though you were one of the original CRI reading
  specialists, you enter your assigned high school
  without any high school experience (except as a
  student). 
• The current reading specialist had applied for
  the LLT position and had been denied this
  placement. She will now be teaching five RLA
  classes. The principal informed you about this
  situation when you were interviewed so you would
  be prepared for this eventuality.
•  The former reading specialist engaged you in a
  conversation to determine your background and
  experience, particularly about your high school
  experience. The principal clearly wants you to
  handle the situation.
• How would you defuse the situation?

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Scenario 4 Recommended Resolution

• Respect the expertise or knowledge of others
• Listen actively and continue to smile, be firm!
• Redefine the role as necessary
• Honor your word

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How do I enter the school community?

• Please complete the evaluation.

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Lunch Break

• 45 minutes