When you are new, your first job is to build relationships with your staff. You need those before you can do much else. I would suggest working hard to support what the teachers say they need first. Then look for an opening to address what you want. When I wanted to coteach---plug in instead of pull out---I looked for an "in". It came when a colleague mentioned that she was frustrated with the number of kids that went out of her room for reading and her feeling that she was unable to meet their needs alone when they were in the room. I suggested coteaching...and that was the opening I needed to show that this model really could work. To bring this back to the purpose of this listserv, it really helps to coteach when you want to coach someone on an ongoing basis. I plan with and then teach side-by-side with colleagues every day. I share my struggles with implementing the ideas in To Understand and that does two things: One-it shows I am not an expert and have something to learn from colleagues and TWO: It got more of my staff members to read To Understand! (Of course, it also helped to have my instructional facilitator push the book at our regional staff development---it helped folks to understand the importance of this work of Ellin's.) Is anyone else trying the ideas in To Understand with a colleague? Jennifer In a message dated 11/4/2008 4:27:59 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Thanks Jennifer for saying, "If you can integrate more reading into the content areas that would help" I totally agree with you and am trying to figure out how to help the classroom teachers "see" this. I am so new to the Literacy Teacher Leader role that I have to learn how to tread lightly. ~Margo **************Plan your next getaway with AOL Travel. Check out Today's Hot 5 Travel Deals! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212416248x1200771803/aol?redir=http://travel.aol.com/discount-travel?ncid=emlcntustrav00000001) _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list Understand@literacyworkshop.org http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
