2007

Team Team MeetingsMeetings

Leslie Parish, Chrissy Gettle, Margie OwenLeslie Parish, Chrissy Gettle, Margie OwenDallastown Area School DistrictDallastown Area School District

Literacy Team Meetings: Literacy Team Meetings: PurposePurpose

• Team meetings are an important Team meetings are an important part of the Comprehensive Literacy part of the Comprehensive Literacy ModelModel

• Allows for embedded professional Allows for embedded professional developmentdevelopment

• Teams problem-solve together and Teams problem-solve together and share responsibility for meeting the share responsibility for meeting the needs of students and teachersneeds of students and teachers

Apprenticeship in Literacy Apprenticeship in Literacy pg. pg. 155155

• Teams of teachers with a common Teams of teachers with a common goal can do much more than an goal can do much more than an individual teacher working aloneindividual teacher working alone

• Teachers must be knowledgeable Teachers must be knowledgeable about learning theory and effective about learning theory and effective literacy practices for working with literacy practices for working with young childrenyoung children

What happens in a Team What happens in a Team meeting?meeting?

• Explore issues related to early Explore issues related to early intervention and student achievementintervention and student achievement

• Identify long- and short- term goalsIdentify long- and short- term goals• Focus on student learning to guide Focus on student learning to guide

assessmentassessment• Examine student workExamine student work• Provide for follow-up discussions after Provide for follow-up discussions after

professional development & identify professional development & identify areas of need for professional areas of need for professional developmentdevelopment

• Monitor student progress & plan for Monitor student progress & plan for those students not making progress those students not making progress (use of Assessment Wall)(use of Assessment Wall)

• Share what’s working in the Share what’s working in the classroomclassroom

• Provide a support system for changeProvide a support system for change Apprenticeship Apprenticeship

in Literacy p. 155in Literacy p. 155

What do Literacy Team meetings What do Literacy Team meetings look like?look like?

• Literacy Team Meeting topics are Literacy Team Meeting topics are planned to meet the needs of your planned to meet the needs of your students and your teachers; they are students and your teachers; they are relevant to what they need at a relevant to what they need at a specific timespecific time

Meeting EnvironmentMeeting Environment

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

What our Literacy Team meetings What our Literacy Team meetings looked like:looked like:

• Our focus for this year was consistency Our focus for this year was consistency among buildings; our Team meetings among buildings; our Team meetings reflected this focusreflected this focus

• Team meetings happened in every building Team meetings happened in every building for every grade level once a month (bi-weekly for every grade level once a month (bi-weekly meetings would be preferablemeetings would be preferable

• Grade level teachers were joined by building Grade level teachers were joined by building administrators, Reading administrators, Reading Recovery/Intervention teachers, ESL teachers, Recovery/Intervention teachers, ESL teachers, Instructional Support teachers, and Learning Instructional Support teachers, and Learning Support teachersSupport teachers

What our Literacy Team meetings What our Literacy Team meetings looked like:looked like:

• We used We used Shaping Literate MindsShaping Literate Minds as a as a basis for discussions; as well as DVDs basis for discussions; as well as DVDs of lesson components.of lesson components.

• We always linked We always linked Theory Theory with with PracticePractice; focusing on how children ; focusing on how children learn best and rationale for best learn best and rationale for best practicespractices

Examples of topics:Examples of topics:

• Establishment of what the role of a Establishment of what the role of a Literacy Coach is & purpose for Literacy Literacy Coach is & purpose for Literacy Team meetingsTeam meetings

• Components of Balanced LiteracyComponents of Balanced Literacy• Scheduling of Balanced Literacy Scheduling of Balanced Literacy

componentscomponents• Follow-up on school wide professional Follow-up on school wide professional

development sessions (i.e. balanced development sessions (i.e. balanced literacy, guided reading, book discussions)literacy, guided reading, book discussions)

• Choosing books for guided readingChoosing books for guided reading

Topics (cont.)Topics (cont.)• Literacy processing/how children learnLiteracy processing/how children learn• Viewing of literacy lessons on DVD & Viewing of literacy lessons on DVD &

discussiondiscussion• 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 meetingsSetting Norms for meetings

Literacy Team Meeting Norms K-1 Leaders Height & Dallastown Elementary

Everyone participates Come prepared

Think “outside the box” Share ideas

Safe atmosphere Administrator support

AgendasAgendasDecember Team M eeting

1st & 2nd grade

During our Literacy Team Meeting we will be discussing the purpose of the Reading Assessment Wall. Please prepare for the meeting by:

Reading page 97 of Shaping Literate Minds about the assessment wall & bring the book to our meeting.

Thinking about the following discussion points:

the logistics of moving the student cards on the wall what types of assessments would be most useful

for us to determine where a student card is placed on the wall and how we can help our students make steady progress?

how often should we hold an assessment wall team meeting in order to problem solve?

We will also be scheduling a date for an assessment wall team meeting for before the Christmas break. Thank you for your support of our L iteracy Team meetings and our school A ssessment Wall!

AgendasAgendasAGENDA

Kindergarten Literacy Team Meeting April 2007

I. Teaching for Deep Comprehension: Literate Language “Literate talk: discourse for talking about literacy” Automatic language (everyday) vs. literate language (Mel Levine: a type of “verbal craftsmanship” that includes “sophisticated classroom talk as well as academic reading/writing. If children do not aquire literate language, they will have difficulties at higher levels (TDC pg. 80)

II. Purpose for the tape: Listen to the language the teacher uses during her lessons

lll. While you’re watching the tape: take notes on what language the teacher is using and what the children are doing lV. Reflect: What can I take back to use in my classroom?

AgendasAgendasTeam Meeting Agenda #3

Assessment

WHY ASSESS?

1. Why do we assess?? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Refer to page 18- Shaping Literate Minds 2. Focus for Instruction-

K-3 Kit- Transfer focus for instruction to DRA2 Class Profile Sheet 4/5 Kit- Explain focus for instruction, and class profile sheet.

3. Closure-

How do we continue to monitor children’s progress/change over time in Reading? Formal/Informal Assessments- Shaping Literate Minds pp.31-32 Reading/Writing Checklists- Shaping Literate Minds pp. 108-115 4. Next meeting-

How our meetings evolved throughout How our meetings evolved throughout the year:the year:

• Started out with us doing most of the Started out with us doing most of the talking; eventually more discussion talking; eventually more discussion occurredoccurred

• Conversations became more reflectiveConversations became more reflective• We gained a sense of the level of We gained a sense of the level of

understanding our teachers have for understanding our teachers have for different topics which helped us plan different topics which helped us plan future meetingsfuture meetings

• Mentors began to emerge during Mentors began to emerge during meetings; teachers started to help each meetings; teachers started to help each other problem-solveother problem-solve