The
Leadership
Issue
• Redefining what it means to be a
teacher leader
• The growing opportunities
available for today’s educators
• Finding a mentor—and
why it’s so important
November/December 2015
Volume 33, Issue 3
LITERACY TODAY
A Mindset for Learning
Teach
your students
· Turns Carol Dweck’s, Daniel Pink’s, and Arthur
Costa’s research into classroom practice
· Ideas for explicitly teaching 5 research-driven
habits of mind
· Includes instructional language, charts,
teaching tips, and more
978-0-325-06288-4 • $22.00
We want our students to
take on challenges with
zeal, to see themselves not
as static test scores but as
agents of change.
—Kristi Mraz and
Christine Hertz
@MrazKristine
@christine_hertz
Visit
Heinemann.com/blog
for video interviews
with the authors!
@HeinemannPub
Heinemann.com | P 800.225.5800 | F 877.231.6980
Contents
LITERACY TODAY
Volume 33, Issue 3
November/December 2015
EDITORIAL STAFF
Communications Manager Lara Deloza
Managing Editor Colleen Patrice Clark
Intern Alexandra Baruch
ILA LEADERSHIP
Executive Director Marcie Craig Post
Associate Executive Director Stephen Sye
2015–2016 BOARD MEMBERS
Diane Barone, University of Nevada, Reno,
President; William H. Teale, University of Illinois
at Chicago, Vice President; Gwynne Ellen Ash,
Texas State University; Donald Bear, Iowa State
University; Julie Coiro, University of Rhode
Island; Catherine E. Collier, Chesapeake Public
Schools, Virginia; Lori DiGisi, Framingham
Public Schools, Massachusetts; Bernadette
Dwyer, St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra,
Dublin City University, Ireland; Laurie A.
Elish-Piper, Northern Illinois University; Rachel
A. Karchmer-Klein, University of Delaware;
Julianne Scullen, Anoka-Hennepin School
District, Minnesota
ADVERTISING
For information, contact Megan Ferguson at
800-336-7323 ext. 417 or advertising@reading.
org. Acceptance of advertising does not imply
endorsement.
ABOUT US
Literacy Today is the bimonthly membership
magazine of the International Literacy
Association, a nonprofi t that strives to
empower educators, inspire students, and
encourage teachers with the resources they
need to make literacy accessible for all.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Literacy Today (ISSN 2411-7862, Print; 2411-
7900, Online) is included in the cost of ILA
membership. To join, visit literacyworldwide.
org. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to Literacy Today, PO Box 8139, Newark,
DE 19714-8139, USA. CANADIAN GST:
Registration number R-129785523.
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CONTACT US
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DE 19714-8139, USA.
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© International Literacy Association
18
2
EDITOR’S NOTE
4
LIT BITS
6
OUR VIEW
LITERACY LEADERSHIP
8
The Importance of Finding a Mentor
10
The Benefi ts of a Literacy Leader in
Administration
12
Why Retired Educators Return to the Classroom
14
How to Build Bett er Relationships as an Instructional Coach
16
TWO TAKES
THE ENGAGING CLASSROOM
24
How In-the-Moment Teaching Decisions Matt er
26
Improving Students’ Speaking Skills in Response to Literature
28
Adding Variety With Your Text Types
30
Graphic Novels: If You’re Not on Board, You’re Missing Out
THE ILA NETWORK
34
New Read and Feed Pilot Program a Summertime Success
GLOBAL IMPACT
36
ILA’s Food for Education Project Wraps Up in Sierra Leone
40
EVENTS
42
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
The Path to
Leadership
Colleen Patrice Clark
Managing Editor
cclark@reading.org
WE’RE IN THIS
TOGETHER
eaching is a lot like running a marathon. In the
beginning of the race, you have the necessary
training behind you and you feel confident.
But then a few miles (translation: months
or years) in, you might be hit with doubt: Why
did I think I could do this?
You continue forward. Some will finish
strong, and make it look deceptively easy, but
you might find yourself hitting it—the dreaded
wall. You’ve heard of it, but you didn’t believe
this invisible barrier was a real thing. Yet here
you are at this make-or-break moment.
Does that sound like a position any teacher
should be in? (Or anyone, for that matter?)
Of course not! Yet many teachers
still leave the profession after just a few
years because they feel burned out and
unsupported, like they’re pounding the
pavement and somehow not getting anywhere.
However, there is support out there.
It’s there all along; it’s just easy to miss.
You might feel isolated in your classroom, but
just like in a marathon, there are cheering
sections (fellow teachers, loved ones,
community members), refueling stations
(PD workshops, conferences, Twitter chats),
and even pace groups to run alongside
(mentors, a PLN, or a teacher leadership team).
At ILA, we want to ensure even the most
isolated hear us and feel the support, and that’s
a large drive behind this Leadership Issue. We
need to recognize the leadership abilities among
all educators to give them the credit they deserve
so they never reach that burnout. They must
feel validated in their everyday decisions and
confident in the knowledge they possess and the
impact they can have when they share it with
their peers.
Just like in a marathon, it’s important to
remember that we’re all in this together. We
can keep our eyes on the prize and support
each other along the way.
Warmly,
EDITOR’S
NOTE
2
November/December 2015 | LITERACY TODAY
Have a comment about this month’s issue?
E-mail literacytoday@reading.org.
LETTER TO
THE EDITOR
Worth repeating
Dave Pearson’s comment in the “What’s Hot” feature in Literacy Today [Sept./Oct. 2015]
should have been displayed in large type with colorful arrows pointing at it. As we
have done historically in education with other topics, we have elevated the importance
of close reading of exceptionally challenging texts beyond its rightful place. In the
process, we have diminished the importance
of some of the foundational skills students
need to enjoy and comprehend what
they read.
Another feature of the piece should also
have been emphasized: “Remember that
these classifications do not represent their
relative importance—merely the attention
they are receiving.” (p. 12) As much as I look
forward to reading “What’s Hot” (thank
you, Dr. Cassidy), I sometimes think that
many people don’t read the piece closely
and recognize what it is all about.
— Michael Milone, Placitas, NM
of s
ne
th
LITERACY TODAY | November/December 2015
Photos poured in from ILA members in September as we celebrated International Literacy Day—and with it,
the inspiring culture and literacy accomplishments of the Philippines.
We were also excited to see so many people share photos of the Little Free Libraries they built with
students as part of our celebration’s service component.
ILD Around the World
BY THE NUMBERS
$80 M
$50 M
Cost of the public-
private partnership
announced by New
York City Mayor Bill de
Blasio to train 5,000
teachers and provide
computer science
classes to all public
school students
10 a.m.
The suggested
time high
schoolers should
begin their
day, according
to research in
Learning, Media
and Technology
5 out of 6
Number of U.S. middle
and high schools that
start before 8:30 a.m.,
according to the CDC
11 a.m.
The recommended
starting time for
college-level
classes, according
to the research
Financing provided by
Laurene Powell Jobs, wife
of the late Steve Jobs, for
her XQ: The Super School
Project, which encourages
teams of students,
educators, and other
leaders to present plans
that “rethink” high school
Arlene B. Arcillas, mayor of Santa Rosa in the Philippines, pictured
above in white, visited five schools, participated in dozens of Little Free
Library ribbon cuttings, and read to hundreds of students.
Students at St. John the
Evangelist School in Maryland
participated in Filipino food
tastings and other cultural
events throughout the day.
LIT BITS
4
November/December 2015 | LITERACY TODAY
We opened
our own
Little Free
Library at ILA
headquarters
in Newark,
DE. A ribbon
cutting was
attended by,
from left to
right, Rep. Paul
Baumbach,
Sen. Tom
Carper’s
Regional
Director
Bonnie Wu,
Newark
Mayor Polly
Sierer, and
ILA Executive
Director
Marcie Craig
Post.
Students at The Episcopal
School of Dallas in Texas
made passports to “travel”
to the Philippines. Activities
included lessons on cultural
dresses, reading a Filipino
folktale, and building
replicas of Filipino modes of
transportation.
What’s New?
We recently unveiled our new
website, which means a new
home for our blog, Literacy
Daily. For regular updates
on classroom tips, research,
book reviews, and more, visit
literacyworldwide.org/blog.
Throughout the day at
Oakridge International School
in Hyderabad, India, students
read challenging passages
and discussed the feelings
associated with not being able to
comprehend text. The day also
included “Cuentos,” story reading
sessions by parents and teachers
in 12 different languages.
A free cross journal virtual issue
on vocabulary is available to view
through March 1. Combining articles
from ILA’s Journal of Adolescent
& Adult Literacy, Reading Research
Quarterly, and The Reading Teacher,
the issue serves as an easy-to-use
research guide for teachers. Find it at
literacyworldwide.org/journals.
The Illinois Reading Council (IRC)
built two Little Free Libraries at
the state library, one of which was
planted outside of their office in
Normal, IL; the other was donated to
a rural community.
LITERACY TODAY | November/December 2015
or years, the term leader wasn’t applied to just any profession. In fact, those in
certain areas of the education field were not even considered capable of having
leadership abilities. The teachers who worked tirelessly in the classroom
definitely were not included under the leader umbrella. No, that title fell solely
on those in administration or on university professors with scholarly articles
included in their vitaes.
As with all things academic, the pendulum is swinging. Now the word leader is
being applied to teachers within the classroom—and it’s about time.
Teachers—both general educators and, importantly, those who are literacy
professionals—actually have been leaders in the community since the beginning.
When we think of the first level of contact and connections within a school, the
teacher is typically the person at the center of it all. Teachers are the people
who begin to build relationships not only with students, but also with parents,
community leaders, and other professional stakeholders. They are constantly
assisting with schoolwide professional development, volunteer organizations, and
church and social activities.
By Tiff any Sears
ALL TEACHERS ARE
LEADERS
An evolving view of what it means to be a teacher
leader is giving credit where credit is due
Tiff any Sears
(tsears@reading.org), a
former classroom teacher
and educational consultant,
is an ILA council advisor.
She works directly with
state/provincial councils
in North America, focusing
on nonprofi t training, board
orientation, and strategic
planning sessions.
OUR VIEW
6
November/December 2015 | LITERACY TODAY
The perception of who can be
considered a leader needed to change,
as teachers are doing more to uphold
the title of leader than ever before.
This concept seems to be hard
for some in education to come to grips
with. The assumption is that teachers
are just that: teachers. By advocating
for teachers, and advocating for an
expanded view of what teachers
really do, we are slowly changing the
viewpoint of many.
The roles teachers have taken on
stretch far outside of their classroom
duties of writing lesson plans,
instructing students, and standing
outside for recess. Responsibilities
also include mentoring other teachers,
serving as grade-level team leaders
and literacy coaches, and advocating
for educational reform. Teachers are
now seeing the need to extend their
leadership abilities even further, and
are acting as agents of change within
the education landscape.
Within ILA, teachers are leading
our state, provincial, affiliate, and
local/AUA councils and special
interest groups. These classroom
teachers are stepping up to run
nonprofit organizations in order
Seeing the need to change the
perception of who qualifies as a leader is
critical. We know that many educators
are still leaving the classroom before
they reach five full years of service.
The amount of stress and increased
requirements are having an impact
on the profession in ways that were
never seen before. However, even in the
midst of that uncertainty, we are seeing
teachers stand up for what is right for
students and we are witnessing this
evolution of teacher leaders.
As advocates for education, we
must continue to encourage those
teachers within the classroom to take
on these leadership roles. Those teacher
leaders are paving the way for other
educators to pick up the baton and move
the perception of teachers into a more
positive light.
to continue the effort of improving
literacy worldwide. Leaders run the
gamut from kindergarten teachers to
university professors. In addition to
developing and implementing some
of the highest quality professional
development conferences in their
communities, they are also tackling
legislative issues that are important
to educators at the state and local
levels.
By showcasing all of the areas in
which teachers are doing more than
“just instruction,” we are improving
the perception of educators as leaders
in literacy. These educators are truly
transforming lives in ways that affect
not only their students, but also the
lives of those who are affiliated with the
educational environment of which they
are a part.
By showcasing all of the areas in which teachers
are doing more than “just instruction,” we
are improving the perception of educators as
leaders in literacy.
LITERACY TODAY | November/December 2015
obbie Torney remembers the rainy mornings in California during his first year
teaching when he wondered how he could possibly fulfill his dream of being, as he
calls it, “a forever teacher.”
When things at his school or in his classroom became hard to manage, Torney
says, “the single thing that kept me in the classroom that year was definitely my
mentor.”
By Jaclyn Zubrzycki
Finding the right partnership can change your career
Jaclyn Zubrzycki
(jaclyn.zubrzycki@gmail.
com) is a freelance writer
specializing in education.
LITERACY
LEADERSHIP
THE POWER OF A
MENTOR
8
November/December 2015 | LITERACY TODAY