Teacher Collaboration

I will be writing a series of blog posts about my experiences at the Ron Clark Academy (RCA), documenting this transformative professional development journey.

Part 1 Traveling to Atlanta

This trip marks a significant personal milestone, as it is the first time I have traveled by air since before September 11, 2001. The experience felt somewhat surreal; even the airline check-in agents expressed surprise when they realized how long it had been since my last flight. Over the years, the rising cost of air travel had made it a luxury that simply wasn’t a regular part of my life. Consequently, this journey served as my formal introduction to modern TSA procedures. Being unfamiliar with the current strict regulations regarding liquid sizes, I unfortunately had to surrender my lotion at security. Despite this minor setback, the overall travel experience was positive and smooth.

I am fortunate to be traveling to the Ron Clark Academy thanks to a generous scholarship provided by Sonic Drive-In, which is covering all major expenses, including our hotel accommodations and flights. Our logistical arrangements have been efficient; we utilized Lyft for transit from the airport to our hotel, and the Academy provides a dedicated shuttle bus for the daily commute between the hotel and the school. I am filled with excitement for this opportunity, especially since my own school implemented the Ron Clark Academy House System about a year ago. Recently, however, I have noticed that the initial momentum and enthusiasm among our staff and students have begun to wane, and I hope this visit provides the spark needed to revitalize our program.

The timeless rule of arriving at the airport early remains a necessity in modern travel. I felt grateful to begin this trip at the Evansville airport, which is relatively small and manageable. While the TSA process in Evansville was straightforward, I am mentally preparing for our connecting flight to Atlanta, which I anticipate will be significantly more crowded and chaotic—likely a “10” on a scale of difficulty. To mitigate this, we plan to head to the airport exceptionally early for our return trip on Saturday morning to ensure we can navigate security lines and terminal crowds without unnecessary stress.

My experience checking bags also provided a moment of relief. I was initially anxious after encountering technical difficulties while trying to pay baggage fees online. However, when I reached the counter, the agent informed me that because my bag weighed under 20 pounds, there was no charge at all. I was incredibly relieved that my online payment attempt had failed!

I must admit that the logistics of this trip were somewhat intimidating at first. Having been grounded for so many years, I worried about the complexities of navigating large airports and maintaining a tight schedule. I am very thankful to be traveling with a fellow teacher, as having a colleague by my side has made the entire process much more comfortable and enjoyable.

This trip marks the first time I have traveled by air since before September 11, 2001. It is a bit surreal; even the check-in agents seemed surprised by how long it had been. Since flying has become so expensive, it simply hasn’t been a regular part of my life. This journey provided my very first experience with modern TSA procedures. I was completely unaware of the strict regulations regarding liquid sizes, which unfortunately meant I had to part with my lotion. Despite that small hurdle, the experience was positive.

I am traveling to the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) thanks to a scholarship provided by Sonic Drive-In. They are generously covering all expenses, including the hotel and flights. We utilized Lyft to transit from the airport to our hotel, and the Academy itself provides a shuttle bus for the commute between the hotel and the school. I am incredibly excited for this opportunity. My own school implemented the Ron Clark Academy House System about a year ago, but lately, it feels as though the initial momentum and excitement among the staff and students have begun to wane.

The necessity of arriving at the airport early remains a constant in travel. I am grateful to be flying out of Evansville, as it is a relatively small and manageable airport. While my first encounter with TSA in Evansville was smooth, I am anticipating that the connecting flight to Atlanta will be much more crowded and chaotic—likely a 10 on a scale of 0 to 10. To prepare for this, we plan to leave exceptionally early for our return trip on Saturday morning to ensure we can navigate the security lines and terminal crowds without stress.

I also had an experience checking my bags. I was initially quite nervous because I encountered difficulties trying to pay for the baggage fees online. However, upon arrival at the counter, the agent informed me that because my bag weighed under 20 pounds, there was no charge at all. I was very relieved that the online payment hadn’t gone through!

Admittedly, the logistical aspects of this trip were a bit intimidating. Having not flown in such a long time, I was worried about navigating the airports and making sure I reached every destination on schedule. I am very thankful to be traveling alongside another teacher, which has made the process much more comfortable.

Part 2 Hotel

The flight to Atlanta was remarkably smooth, which was a relief given my long absence from air travel. Since I had not been on a plane in such a long time, I felt incredibly fortunate to have secured a window seat. Watching the world shrink below as we ascended provided a perspective I had truly missed.

My children have never had the opportunity to fly, so I made sure to record a video of the takeoff to share the excitement with them later. I often wish I had the financial means to provide them with this kind of travel experience firsthand. However, the logistics and cost of flying with all my children would be quite expensive. That said, with the current rise in gas prices, I sometimes wonder if driving the same distance would end up being just as costly.

As we made our way to the hotel, we didn’t see much of the local landscape as we remained primarily on the interstate. Eventually, we transitioned through the downtown area, which was visually appealing with its urban architecture; however, as anyone who travels knows, a city is defined by much more than just its downtown district.

The hotel itself was truly remarkable. I have never stayed in a facility with such unique aesthetics. After checking in, I went to inspect my room and was particularly struck by the bathroom design. It was unlike any I had ever encountered. The shower lacked a traditional door; while it initially resembled a standard shower with a sliding glass partition, the panel was actually fixed in place. There was simply an open space at the rear for entry. Furthermore, the bathroom door did not close completely. While this may be a contemporary design trend, I was quite relieved to be staying alone, as the lack of privacy would have been awkward with a roommate.

Later, we gathered with representatives from Sonic on the top floor of the hotel for a scheduled dinner and networking session with educators from various regions. I found myself acting with uncharacteristic confidence; I simply walked over to a table of strangers and joined them for conversation. Those who know me well would understand that this is not my typical behavior. I was pleasantly surprised by my own social initiative, though I reasoned that since most of us had traveled with only one other colleague from our respective schools, we were all in a similar position of not knowing many people. Regardless, I was genuinely impressed with my ability to step outside my comfort zone.

More Works by Nancy Ann Creed

MAEVE https://books2read.com/u/m25Ygd
MATTHEW https://books2read.com/u/bzNZYj
JUSTIN https://books2read.com/u/mBKzLZ
MAURELLE https://books2read.com/u/bzN19D
ANNBELLE https://books2read.com/u/bWqEkx
Carillon https://books2read.com/u/38anZV

man writing on a blackboard — Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

The Three Lenses: The Influence of Literacy Coaches and Observations

When Literacy Coaches observe teachers, most of the time they use set rubrics to determine what the teacher needs to work on and what they are doing well. “Our analysis of the coaches’ discussion about their ratings on the rubrics led us to identify three lenses- or ways of looking- that influences their observations: the pedagogy lens, the responsiveness lens, and the relevancy lens,” Rodgers & Rodgers, (2007). What do these lenses mean and how do they affect our teaching and our ability to coach?

Each time the Literacy Coach watches a lesson and observes how a teacher teaches; they think about how they would have taught that lesson. “Adrian conceptualized a mechanism called a pedagogical lens to help understand how the same teaching might be viewed and interpreted differently by different people (A. Rogers, 2002),” Rodgers & Rodgers, (2007). In other words, an English teacher may observe a teacher teaching a lesson on Shakespeare. The observer might have already taught a lesson like this and comes to the observation with their own ideas on how this subject should be taught.

The observer is analyzing the lesson by seeing how they would have taught it.

Another lens observers use is called the Responsiveness Lens. “When the coaches in our study discussed rationales for their ratings, they often referred to what we call the responsiveness of teaching as a factor in their analysis,” Rodgers & Rodgers, (2007). This means how well the teacher is responding to students. If the subject is too difficult, can the teacher adjust her lesson while teaching to help those students?

One coach summed up the responsiveness lens nicely, ‘What you’re really looking for is, is she meeting the needs of those kids?” Sometimes the teacher must adjust the lesson to help students. What are the students getting from this lesson? Is the teacher matching what she is reaching to how her students are responding?

When I started teaching Social Studies, I didn’t realize that some of the terms in the book that were known to most students, were not known to my particular group of students. I had to stop the lesson and go over some vocabulary that I thought was common knowledge.

Finally, the last lens is called the relevancy lens. Are the students learning from what is being taught? “Their reflections on their retains also dealt with whether they thought students could profit form the teaching; this could only happen if what the teacher was teaching matched what students could use to learn,” Rodgers & Rodgers, (2007). The observer questions when teachers are teaching something that is “not meaningful or useful for students, and notes missed opportunities for learning,” Rodgers & Rodgers, (2007).

Literacy specialist must collaborate with others in their schools. “To be successful, literacy specialist must be able to work collaboratively and cooperatively with teachers, administrators, families and community agencies,” Bean and Goatley (2021). For example, just as I assumed when I started teaching Social Studies that my students should have already known certain vocabulary, Literacy Specialists come equipped with experiences from previous jobs and life experiences. They must also understand the different lens that they observe with and understand how to use those lenses to help teachers and others to becomes the best they can be.

References

Bean, R. M., Goatley, V.J. (2021). The Literacy Specialist. Leadership and coaching for the classroom, school, and community. 4^th ed (374 pgs) Guildford Press.

Rodgers, A., & Rodgers, E. M. (2007). The Effective Literacy Coach: Using Inquiry to Support Teaching and Learning. Teachers College, Columbia University.