Back to Basics

Julie Schwartzbauer contributed today's post. Read Julie's previous posts to understand more about her district's Back to Basics plan.

After implementing the roll-out of our first back to basics component, building coaches returned to the coaching PLC  with the message that teachers were apprehensive when it came to opening up their classroom doors to be observed.  They felt like the coach and/or principal was there to evaluate them, not learn with them.  We wanted teachers to understand that the main objective of the Back to Basics plan was to develop a coaching model that would help teachers develop consistency in universal instruction in literacy across the school district through a workshop framework.  In order to develop consistency, we needed to see inside classrooms.  We also wanted teachers to understand that the visits were meant to be student centered.  The focus was on how the student was responding to the teaching.  

As a way to make teachers more comfortable with the visits, we decided to provide some frontloading of information surrounding the shared beliefs of the Back to Basics components.  There was a small group of coaches who stepped up to plan and share what a roll out would look like.  The building Coaches were given the flexibility to roll out the Back to Basics components in the following ways; during late start, at grade level PLCs, during lunch, and/or before or after school. The nonnegotiable was that every teacher must be part of the roll out.  

Throughout the roll out of Back to Basics it was extremely important for our coaches, principals  and teachers to understand that the work of strengthening universal instruction through Back to Basics was ongoing.  Although we were focussing on one component at a time to develop our shared beliefs within our Coaching PLC, the work that coaches do in their buildings takes place throughout the year.  

My next post will explain how we developed a survey to look at the Back to Basics data.