#2GETHERWEAREBETTER ~ Schedules!

Hey Friends~

I'm here today with my bloggy friends as we link up with Ashley from Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd & Angie from Lucky Little Learners to talk about schedules. We will be linking up each month on the 2nd with a new topic to discuss.

So where to start...
I use to have a normal daily schedule, but since becoming a Literacy Coach things can vary. It depends on assessments, training's, meetings, other duties & the need of classroom teachers. It's honestly the part of my job I like the least. I am such a routine person, it stresses me out! LOL! I feel like I'm being pulled in a variety of directions at times with no follow through at times as well. I really don't like when I have to do things that don't involve me being in a classroom, I get grumpy. My closest co-workers know, that when I'm in a classroom I'm happy! It is honestly the highlight of my days. It doesn't matter if I'm in a classroom observing, assisting or instructing, I just like being around my teachers & their kids.

On a side note...
What my schedule below doesn't currently reflect, is a 30 minute block at the end of my day. I am part of my Kindergarten Rainbow Reading in the afternoon from 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm. We have FLEX GROUPING in K! Yup, we've divided students into 9 groups across the grade level based on their data. I get 8 little munchkins for guided writing! I LOVE IT! The time is perfect for me since it's right before dismissal. Sometimes I have Literacy Coach meetings, but other than that I get to work with my 8 munchkins. It is the one time in the day I feel like a real teacher again & have balance.

Back to schedules...

This idea of 2GETHERWEAREBETTER, couldn't be truer! I'm not perfect, I don't know everything, but my motto as a Literacy Coach is working together to make improvements is better than not working together & not changing.

I always ask myself, "What would I do if it was me?" when working with teachers. [Sometimes I laugh at my own answers! LOL!] I try to be real, truthful & consistent. Being close to the classrooms & the daily happenings is what teachers need for them to feel like you relate to them. It's honestly my personality I think to "Keep it REAL" & "Keep it MOVING" because we still have to do our jobs along with all the local & state requirements whether we like it or not. I try to be me too, I like seeing my teachers be themselves as well. It keeps the air open & the momentum going. We do have a lot of laughs & fun, if you can't do that then it's a problem. I don't know if I would consider myself your "typical" type of coach & if this is my calling necessarily. I do know that I will try to do & get whatever my teachers want & need. I will always be there for them. I believe that I am a hard worker that is willing to take on responsibility & I always try my best. I realize I won't ever be liked in this role by everyone, but I try my best to be there for my teachers & I think they know that & appreciate it. I like having an open door relationship with them all. I may not work with all of them on their instruction, but I can honestly say I can walk in & out of each of their classrooms comfortably. I always say hello, ask if they need anything & tell them they are doing a great job b/c they all work extremely hard! AMEN! Coaches can see the "whole universe" on the campus, while teachers seem to see their "individual planet". I try to take that in to consideration at all time & gear my time with teachers towards what the "whole universe" needs for a successful future of student achievement.

So the soap box is over... LOL... Back to schedules!

Here is my general schedule...

As you can see, 8:30 am - 12:00 pm most of my building [Gen Ed & Special Ed] are teaching instructing in their Literacy Block. Then I have a handful of teachers who instruct in their Literacy Block in the afternoon. So my mornings are a bit hectic. Then all the way on the right side is the daily M-Th resource time. So M-Th I'm either in a grade level meeting, meeting with a teacher individually during their planning or in a classroom. Or sometimes, I'm working on stuff in my office for teachers, analyzing data or prepping for after school meetings/PD. [That's another thing not shown in my schedule. I can give Reading PD for teachers to receive credits. So I take my own personal after school time to do so. I offer it & teachers can voluntarily sign up. We did Close Reading the 1st Semester & we are doing Academic Language/Vocabulary the 2nd Semester.] It just depends on the week, day or time of year how my daily schedule will go. On Friday teachers have WAVE, which is just really extended planning. I have no idea what WAVE stands for! LOL! I see a lot of my K-3 teams during those times for various reasons. We have the beginnings of the PLC framework going at my school. We are looking at common assessments & discussing students across the grade level. But I think it's just nice for me to be around, nod my head & offer ideas or suggestions. Feedback & a smile can go a long way. I think some staff see me as a security that they are doing what they need to or they are on the right track. I also take WAVE time or Thursday Planning time to meet with teams about assessments, requirements & those types of things.  

So here is a  sample schedule...

Sample Schedule

3 week time period in January 2015

So during this time frame I was working closely with 3 teachers. 

During my work with teachers I do exactly what I do with students. I did a little teaching, we did a little co-teaching and they did a little teaching. It's great to learn from each-other first hand. Then we communicated daily, experimenting with what worked for them & their students, rearranging classroom materials, organizing, looked at data for grouping, prepping resources, implementing new rituals & routines & more. 

I always make it a point to give some sort of daily feedback during the daily transition process. I also always make sure to spend a few days just being there before I leave the room as well. 

Here's what the teachers requested:

*Teacher A & B wanted to reorganize & change their entire reading block. From mini-lesson, centers & small group instruction.

*Teacher B wanted me to model guided reading with a guided writing in it.

*Teacher C needed assistance with getting progress monitoring done during Literacy Centers along with small groups.

The 3 weeks before Spring Intersession I was in 4 classrooms a day working closely with 4 teachers [all different]. So as you can see, I let teachers tell me what they want & need, sometimes with a little encouragement. Then I schedule them for a period of time & gradually release to move on to another teacher & classroom. I always remember that this is their classroom & their students so I try not to step on any toes. I offer myself & teachers also request help.

Then of course I've have commitments to committees with their meetings & tasks, Leadership meetings, Literacy Coach meetings & other things I'm involved in. For those of you in North Carolina or states that assess like North Carolina, you know about the following... I'm in charge of the mCLASS K-3 assessments, devices & materials along with the 3rd grade RTA Portfolio assessments & materials. I also help organized our 3rd Grade Reading Camps on intersessions as well. Anything Literacy I basically handle with the help of administration & a few other people. It's a headache!

So anyhow, I don't know how helpful this was to many of you to read. But it is a look into the day of a non-homeroom teacher in education like me! I believe their are pros & cons to every position, I still desire to be back in the classroom. Most days I would give anything to grade papers, do report cards, have parent conferences & wipe noses over some of the stuff I have to do! But all in all, experiences make you who you are & these years as a Literacy Coach only make my instructional practices stronger!

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