1. Emergent Literacy Coaching @ Your Library Part II:Peer Coaching for Professional Growth

2. So, what is peer coaching? • Peer coaching is a mutual relationship in which two or more people agree to help each other apply new skills

3. Applying Peer Coaching to Emergent Literacy • Emergent literacy: a statewide focus in MD libraries since the year 1998 and the It’s Never Too Early campaign • Peer coaching was a logical next step… CCPL 2006-2007 Pilot

4. What would I do as a peer coach?Overview from a coach’s perspective… • Observe one another’s storytimes • Engage in self-reflection about your own storytime performance (prior to conferencing with your peer) • Meet to share feedback & reflect with your peer • Discuss/review materials for storytimes Learning from one another and supporting one another’s professional growth is the ultimate goal!

5. Why Peer Coaching? • Provides job-embedded professional development in a non-threatening, supportive atmosphere • Increases comfort level with performance responsibilities • Fosters ownership of best practices

6. Video Clip - Gail Griffith, CCPL

7. Research on Literacy Coaching Joyce and Showers model of professional development (Dole, 2004) - five types of support: • Theory • Demonstration • Practice • Feedback • In-depth coaching

8. Theory Support • Learning the rationale / underlying reasoning behind particular storytime strategies or techniques Why am I doing these activities?

9. Demonstration Support • Opportunities to directly see the activities through modeling or videotaping What do these activities look like in storytime?

10. Practice Support • Opportunities in the workplace to practice the newly acquired skills in front of a peer coach When I try these activities, what happens?

11. Feedback Support • Assistance and support about practice performance from peers What worked well in these activities? What could I have done differently?

12. In-Depth Coaching • Collaboration with peers on newly learned activities and strategies practiced in storytimes to solve any problems that arise during implementation What do I do next? Where do I go from here?

13. The Emergent Literacy Peer Coaching Wiki http://wiki.carr.org/traction

14. Effective Coaches… • are willing to be reflective about their own practices in order to encourage reflection in their peers • have a sense of humor and accept that things will go wrong with even the best laid plans

15. Effective Coaches… • are able to articulate and share what they observed in a positive, constructive manner in order to nudge (as opposed to push) their peers along to more advanced stages of performance Support and nudge

16. Effective Coaches… • are respectful and appreciative of the effort it takes to perform well in a variety of situations • adopt a supportive and reflective stance, as opposed to an evaluative one • maintain trust and confidentiality (the “Las Vegas” pledge)

17. Effective Coaches… • share and discuss professional literature to stay informed in their field and to decide how to apply the information to their various job performance duties Learning Communities

18. Effective Coaches… • conference and observe one another in a variety of performance activities Practice and feedback in a friendly, supportive atmosphere

19. Effective Coaches… • reflect individually and collaboratively on performance and growth Journaling & peer conferencing

20. Making it Work:The Role of a “Lead Coach” Possible activities: • provide an overview of Emergent Literacy Peer Coaching for staff (can use wiki resources, including today’s Power Points and the Early Literacy Needs Assessment) • facilitate scheduling for observations/reflection conferences • participate in the observation reflection process with another lead coach, if possible/appropriate • have periodic meetings with the peer coaches to discuss how the process is going • participate in a professional book study

21. How CCPL Incorporated Lead Coaches into the Peer Coaching Pilot Study

22. Video clips - CCPL Pilot, Lead & Peer Coaches

23. Sharing:Coaching Experiences Questions

24. C.E.U. Credit for Coaching Activities • CCPL obtained credit hours for staff for peer observations, journaling and conferencing, as well as reviewing materials for storytime • For more information on how to accomplish this, please contact Dorothy Stoltz: dstoltz@carr.org

25. Tips for Wiki Access • Wiki address: http://wiki.carr.org/traction • Click on Emergent Literacy under Projects on left hand side of page. • Explore wiki by clicking on the various Sections on left hand side of page. • If you would like to comment on any of the content, click on Comments and follow the instructions on this page.