respond to discussion 1N

Carolyn

Literacy coaches are vital players in school management and help schools cope with challenges; in addition, coaches foster teacher interactions and implement new initiatives (Liu et al., 2021). 

Two roles I believe that have best prepared me for an administrative role are literacy coach and team leader. The role of literacy coach has many responsibilities, and I was privy to the range of functions I had to execute. Even though I functioned in this role briefly, I assisted in the hiring process. I sat on interview panels for subject areas hires. Going through the interview process, I have a deeper understanding of key questions to ask a potential candidate in the interview. In addition, I was a part of the school’s leadership team. We met regularly to discuss the operations of the school. As coach, I disseminated information to the ELA team and served as a liaison between teachers in my department and the principal and assistant principals. Additionally, I sat in on collaborative planning meetings with my colleagues, modeled lessons, conducted meetings, analyzed data, and supported colleagues in the classroom.  I attended workshops, communicated with district personnel, provided on-sight professional development, demonstrated best practices and learning strategies, and observed teachers as requested.  

          Prior to becoming a lit coach, I worked as a team leader for about four years. I was responsible for attending leadership and grade level meetings and communicating with different personnel schoolwide. The greatest take way from functioning in these roles is the rapport that I built with my colleagues. I became aware that it is important that I am a member of a team, and we are working together to fulfill the goals and objectives of the school. I believe that I have gained some experience and valuable skills that could help me in a future administrative role. I am open to continuing the learning experience. 

Nina

          It is essential for a person to plan for his or her future.  Planning for a future will help a person to gain experience in preparing for a goal to be reached.  I knew that I always wanted to go to college and work with people.  As a Psychology major, it was learned that working with kids and understanding them would be fun, because of the challenges that are within.

            Once I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I had to “get my feet wet” in the school district, so I worked In School Suspension room, with students who had made wrong choices.  From reading referrals written by teachers, it helped me to understand negative choices that were being made.  Students would come in mad and complaining, never owning up to their mistakes.

            Next, I took a job as a substitute teacher, so that I could try to get “inside action” of what teachers encountered in a classroom.  From this, it helped me to see that working with students was not an easy task.  It was more to it than being an adult in a room with at least 25 to 30 high school students, so I wanted to know more, and took a position as a Reading teacher.  From having this position, I learned that students had different learning levels and needed differentiated instruction.  Knowing this, I completed a master’s degree in Exceptional Student Education (ESE).  The degree not only helped me to understand why differentiated instruction was needed, but educated me on negative behaviors that students present on a daily bases.  These are some qualities that have been obtained in the role of increasing my readiness for being an effective administrator. 

            Now I am a school counselor, which has been preparing me to be an administrator.  Working with everyone (students, parents, faculty, and staff), gives me the opportunity to understand the importance of keeping an open-mind and how communication is essential (Rebore, 2015).  With this being essential, my development in this must continue now and when I become an administrator.

            All in all, this continuous learning journey is amazing.  It is and will always be full of gaining wisdom to be an achiever, because “achievement is the expectation!”