2007 Team Meetings Leslie Parish, Chrissy Gettle, Margie Owen Dallastown Area School District

Literacy Team Meetings: Purpose Team meetings are an important part of the Comprehensive Literacy ModelTeam meetings are an important part of the Comprehensive Literacy Model Allows for embedded professional developmentAllows for embedded professional development Teams problem-solve together and share responsibility for meeting the needs of students and teachersTeams problem-solve together and share responsibility for meeting the needs of students and teachers

Apprenticeship in Literacy pg. 155 Teams of teachers with a common goal can do much more than an individual teacher working aloneTeams of teachers with a common goal can do much more than an individual teacher working alone Teachers must be knowledgeable about learning theory and effective literacy practices for working with young childrenTeachers must be knowledgeable about learning theory and effective literacy practices for working with young children

What happens in a Team meeting? Explore issues related to early intervention and student achievementExplore issues related to early intervention and student achievement Identify long- and short- term goalsIdentify long- and short- term goals Focus on student learning to guide assessmentFocus on student learning to guide assessment Examine student workExamine student work Provide for follow-up discussions after professional development & identify areas of need for professional developmentProvide for follow-up discussions after professional development & identify areas of need for professional development

Monitor student progress & plan for those students not making progress (use of Assessment Wall)Monitor student progress & plan for those students not making progress (use of Assessment Wall) Share what’s working in the classroomShare what’s working in the classroom Provide a support system for changeProvide a support system for change Apprenticeship in Literacy p. 155 Apprenticeship in Literacy p. 155

What do Literacy Team meetings look like? Literacy Team Meeting topics are planned to meet the needs of your students and your teachers; they are relevant to what they need at a specific timeLiteracy Team Meeting topics are planned to meet the needs of your students and your teachers; they are relevant to what they need at a specific time

Meeting Environment The environment where the Team meeting should be comfortable, welcoming, and non- threatening. The participants should be able to face each other to facilitate discussion and problem-solving.The environment where the Team meeting should be comfortable, welcoming, and non- threatening. The participants should be able to face each other to facilitate discussion and problem-solving.

What our Literacy Team meetings looked like: Our focus for this year was consistency among buildings; our Team meetings reflected this focusOur focus for this year was consistency among buildings; our Team meetings reflected this focus Team meetings happened in every building for every grade level once a month (bi-weekly meetings would be preferableTeam meetings happened in every building for every grade level once a month (bi-weekly meetings would be preferable Grade level teachers were joined by building administrators, Reading Recovery/Intervention teachers, ESL teachers, Instructional Support teachers, and Learning Support teachersGrade level teachers were joined by building administrators, Reading Recovery/Intervention teachers, ESL teachers, Instructional Support teachers, and Learning Support teachers

What our Literacy Team meetings looked like: We used Shaping Literate Minds as a basis for discussions; as well as DVDs of lesson components.We used Shaping Literate Minds as a basis for discussions; as well as DVDs of lesson components. We always linked Theory with Practice; focusing on how children learn best and rationale for best practicesWe always linked Theory with Practice; focusing on how children learn best and rationale for best practices

Examples of topics: Establishment of what the role of a Literacy Coach is & purpose for Literacy Team meetingsEstablishment of what the role of a Literacy Coach is & purpose for Literacy Team meetings Components of Balanced LiteracyComponents of Balanced Literacy Scheduling of Balanced Literacy componentsScheduling of Balanced Literacy components Follow-up on school wide professional development sessions (i.e. balanced literacy, guided reading, book discussions)Follow-up on school wide professional development sessions (i.e. balanced literacy, guided reading, book discussions) Choosing books for guided readingChoosing books for guided reading

Topics (cont.) Literacy processing/how children learnLiteracy processing/how children learn Viewing of literacy lessons on DVD & discussionViewing of literacy lessons on DVD & discussion Author studiesAuthor studies Reading Response logsReading Response logs Professional resourcesProfessional resources Literate languageLiterate language Types of assessments/Assessment wallTypes of assessments/Assessment wall CurriculumCurriculum

Setting Norms for meetings

Agendas

Agendas

Agendas

How our meetings evolved throughout the year: Started out with us doing most of the talking; eventually more discussion occurredStarted out with us doing most of the talking; eventually more discussion occurred Conversations became more reflectiveConversations became more reflective We gained a sense of the level of understanding our teachers have for different topics which helped us plan future meetingsWe gained a sense of the level of understanding our teachers have for different topics which helped us plan future meetings Mentors began to emerge during meetings; teachers started to help each other problem- solveMentors began to emerge during meetings; teachers started to help each other problem- solve