A road map for reading specialists entering schools ... - Oncourse

Providing information about anticipated changesin students' literacy behaviors reinforced this conceptualframework.Ongoing and specific feedbackTeachers were provided with regular and specificsupport during postobservation conferencesand grade-level meetings. Their concerns were addressedas they surfaced. Providing immediatefeedback allowed me to sustain the momentum andmanage dilemmas related to implementation andcontinuation of activities. Being welcomed as asupport structure for teachers or encountering theirresistance can be factors that potentially inlluencewhether the support provided by the reading specialistsucceeds or fails to yield desired readingachievement outcomes.Emphasis on culturally informed teachingThe teachers found the emphasis on providingculturally informed teaching useful for helpingthem to advance their students' literacies. Culturallyinformed teaching uses students" culture as a frameof reference to facilitate learning. Curriculum materialsthat reflected the students* culture were selectedas the primary texts. In some instances, thecurriculum materials reflected both the students"African American identities and their adolescentidentities. This allowed the teachers to use literatureto address concerns specific to their students. Thematerials also facilitated literature mediations thatbridged the gap between the students" in-school andout-of-school literacies.Learning the lessonsWith increasing demand for highly qualifiedreading specialists throughout the United Statesand the need to increase reading achievement insome of the nation"s lowest performing schools,many reading specialists will begin their work inschools without exemplary reading programs.There are points of convergence for all reading specialistswithout regard to the presence of an exemplaryreading program. Namely, specialists needto be a resource to teachers, work effectively withallied professionals and parents, have solid knowledgeabout instructional practices, have familiaritywith multiple forms of assessment, provide diagnosticteaching, and be able to work with students.These were the lessons provided to us by readingspecialists from schools with exemplary programs(Bean etal., 2003).However, it is quite plausible that most readingspecialists will not be found in such schools. Thepoint of this article is to expand on the lessons providedby Bean et al. (2003) by sharing insights thatemerged from my work as a reading specialist in aschool that initially did not have an exemplaryreading program. I end with seven quick lessonsthat were illuminated throughout the article.Lesson 1: In the absence of exemplary readingprograms reading specialists must be able to establishone. The process can be essentially messyand complex and require months to accomplish.Patience is key.Lesson 2: A reading specialist who does notenter a fully "fixed"" and defined role must be ableto negotiate his or her identity.Lesson 3: Being reflective is essential for readingspecialists. This may lead to rethinking rolesand functions and establishing new goals basedon self-examination and continual professionaldevelopment.Lesson 4: There may be a need to align the roleof the reading specialist with the school context. Itwill be necessary for many reading specialists tounderstand cultural and contextual forces that operateinside and outside of the schools in whichthey work. This might include moving toward anincreased understanding of theories of pedagogyand curriculum orientations suitable for the studentsand teachers at a particular school.Lesson 5: Being an effective reading specialistinvolves establishing measurable goals andplanning instructional enhancements. In some cases,theoretical enhancements might be necessaryfor helping teachers reconceptualize the role of literacyinstruction, developing a comprehensive assessmentprofile to identify students" strengths andweaknesses, offering teachers a core group of instructionalstrategies to teach students, and selectingappropriate curriculum materials and resources.Lesson 6: Reading specialists should be able tosustain the momentum of their efforts to supportteachers and students. This may require using variousprofessional development processes and materials.A roud tnup/or reading spccialifits cutering schools without txemplury reading progrurns