Reading Coaches "Shadow" at Young

On February 15th, reading coaches from several school systems in the state spent the morning with R. L. Young's third year experienced reading coach, Nancy Willis. These coaches are part of a professional learning community that receives on-site training periodically throughout the year.

The reading coaches observed Mrs. Willis as she completed the coaching cycle as outlined by the Alabama Reading Initiative. Mrs. Willis lead the coaches through an intensive planning session before teaching a NAEP side-by-side reading lesson with fourth graders.

After a debriefing session with the coaches, Mrs. Willis demonstrated for the group how teachers receive feedback from her concerning lessons taught in their classrooms. The group then observed her modeling a detailed comprehension planning session with all third grade teachers, followed by a Comprehension Toolkit lesson demonstration in one of the classes. The morning concluded with the coaches voicing admiration for the rapport exhibited among the Young teachers and reading coach.