Walking Meetings: Advantages of Taking that Meeting Outside for a Walk

Diane Jenquin contributed this post. Click here for more of Diane's thinking.

In this busy, hectic world we live in it is hard to fit in another meeting, let alone taking time to get that much needed brain break in. In the school district I am in right now we have turned to implementing walking meetings on our WOW days (Work-Out Wednesday) It is amazing how we not only get the exercise but mix a little socialization and brainstorming into the equation.  When the walk is done, so is our meeting.  It helps us stay on track and straight to the point of the meeting.

Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerman, Ariannah Huffington,and President Barack Obama are known for holding walking meetings.  Why you might ask? Research coming out of Stanford found that walking boosts creative inspiration (Wong, 2014). Other companies have reported that meetings with movement create a better working atmosphere along with getting away from the office.  

Some of the things to consider when holding a walking meeting are limiting the size of the group because your team might have trouble hearing others, having a basic route planned out, and limiting the use of smart phones. This allows you to keep focused, be efficient, and clear your head.

Carrying this over into my life outside of school has become a routine where instead of talking on the phone with some of my professional networks, we call and say, "Let’s go for a walk." This has pushed us to get out there and together solved all the problems of the world.

Here are some resources if you would like more information.

• "Got a Meeting? Take a Walk" (a TED talk from Nilofer Merchant)
• "Why Walking Meetings can be Better than Sitting Meetings" (an article from HuffPost Business)
• "Guide to Walking Meetings" (from Feet First)
• "Why Everyone from Beethoven, Goethe, Dickens, Darwin to Steve Jobs Took Long Walks and Why You Should Too" (from Andrew Tate)

History of Literacy Coaching: Linking Past with Present

Diane Jenquin contributed today's post. Read more of Diane's thinking about literacy coaching in her previous posts.

Our work as literacy coaches is grounded in a history of 36 years of research.

Literacy coaching was established in the early 1990s as an all-inclusive reform program designed to improve children’s reading, writing, and language skills through embedded professional development.  According to Lyon and Pinnell (2001), the literacy coach, through observation and co-learning, helps the teacher see beyond what is in the classroom to what can improve it and helps the teacher to expand their knowledge base by becoming an ongoing learner, while offering support and encouragement as needed.

The idea of literacy coaching has been documented with research done by Bean (1978). The concept was molded out of the up-springing response to raging criticism of schools after World War II to create specialists that work with small groups, individuals, and teachers to close the gap in the student achievement as a remedial model. Stauffer (1967), however, described this remedial role as a “ bottomless pit.” The concept somehow took a turn to allocating trained specialist and expertise in their areas and utilizing them in only one capacity, that being remediation.  Although the reading specialist was planted in schools as a remediation specialist and consultant, the passing of the 1965 ESEA Act, which provided funding for reading specialists, resulted in reading specialists only working toward pulling out targeted, poverty students.  They were to be a supplemental provider moreover, not being able to demonstrate their expertise with classroom teachers as a consultant.  With the release of the 1980, “A Nation at Risk” the reading specialist role transitioned into more of a teacher mentor and consultant, with a small amount of student remediation.

Learning theories such as the one presented by Vygostky (1978), suggest that individuals learn best when given the opportunity to discuss, reflect, observe,  practice, and apply new learning with others, allow for new ideas to be absorbed.  Further research proposes that the transfer of ideas from the traditional professional development model of one shot workshops is not effective in changing teaching behaviors/practices. Embedded professional development was sparked by the accountability component in No Child Left Behind. This act moved the direction to providing teachers instruction from coaches or mentors to improve instructional practices for the purpose of enhancing student learning. Job embedded professional development can be geared to the specific needs of the teacher and works on concepts more than once, therefore moving to the transfer in their teaching.Thirty years of research grounded in the reading theories of Marie Clay (1979, 1991, and 2004) and Fountas and Pinnell (1996) paved the way to carrying the role of the reading specialist one step farther to the reading coach.

Recently released  are the results of a national survey published in Literacy Research and Instruction (2014) where Rita Bean et al. compares the original research to what is happening currently in the world of literacy leaders.  Take a look at it and compare. 

To link to this article:
Bean, R.M., Kern, D., Goatley, V., Ortlieb, E., Shettel, J., Calo, K., . . . Cassidy, J. (2015). Specialized literacy professionals as literacy leaders: results of a national survey. Literacy Research and Instruction, 54: 2, 83 - 114, DOI: 10.1080/19388071.2014.998355

Coaching Prompts

Diane Jenquin contributed today's post.

Over the last few years I have been accumulating prompts, and questions to promote reflection that promotes inquiry and to alter the thinking and behaving  that occurs afterward. I do have to admit I do not know where some of these prompts came from, but the important idea is that they are coaching conversation starters.  I have put 2 questions from each on a bookmark to help prompt myself as a coach along with teaching and practicing with others.

My hope for you is to take what you need out of this and run with it.  Happy Coaching, Diane

Asking Open Questions:

• What might be the best possible ways to…?
• If you taught this lesson perfectly how would it look?
• How do you think the lesson went? What happened that caused it to go that way?
• When you think about what you had planned and what actually happened, what were the similarities and what were the differences?
• As you think about the results you got, what were some of the ways you designed the lesson to cause them to happen?
• When you reflect back on the lesson, what might you do differently?
• What were the strengths of the lesson? What did not work?

Statement of  Ability/. Attitude:

• I know you have been thinking a lot about this, and I am curious about ….
• Its obvious you're committed to this.  What are some things you have been doing?
• As you’ve been thinking about this you probably anticipated…
• As you test your insights where do you think you start?
• I don’t have the answer and I’m curious about your...

Paraphrasing Language:

• Recode and repeat back to the teacher creates conditions for active listening and promotes metacognition.
• So you're feeling…
• In other words…
• Hmm, you're suggesting that…
• Let me see if I understand: You said…
• I want to make sure I got all the points ; you said...your noticing that…

Summarize and Organize:

• So there seems to be 2 key issues here...and…
• On one hand there is… and on the other hand…

Nurturing Yourself as a Coach

Diane Jenquin contributed today's post.

As I reflect on being a literacy coach and leader thoughts come to mind as to the importance of our well being in order for us to reach out and build relationships with others.

So here is my top 10 list for Nurturing a Literacy Coach:

• Create your own space and work environment to initiate conversation.  I have a little fountain and relaxing chairs and a lavender scented wax burner.
• Leave margins in your work schedule. Pencil in time for appointments just for you, 15 minutes here or there.
• Let go of some responsibility.
• Recognize your limitations and others strengths and delegate to their strengths. Not everyone is a party planner.
• Build a positive support system and network.  Relationships, relationships, relationships.
• Read for fun!
• Nurture your body. Don’t skip meals. Exercise. (I break this one all the time)
• Listen to music (Rock out when you need to)
• Take a nap!
• Go Home!!!!!!
• (My eleventh one is shopping therapy if all else fails.)

I know we all are aware that these are important but doing them is not always easy.  


Sometimes we have to rely on our positive support network to remind me of these important steps.

Bio: Diane Jenquin

Diane Jenquin's teaching career started in middle school science where she quickly realized that students couldn't fully enjoy science because they were struggling with reading and vocabulary. That is when Diane began to pursue her reading license. That was 23 years ago. Her siblings joke that she made a career out of getting sent to her room as a child where there was nothing to do but read!

One of Diane's most important jobs as been raising three children who are not young adults and share her passion for reading. She now has three dogs that live with her and each fit her children's personality. Diane's children, dogs, home remodeling, and design keep her busy. She also dabbles in making her own jewelry. She likes long walks on the beach, warm weather, and sunshine. Ha ha!

Five years ago, Diane took a nine credit literacy coaching class through Viterbo. With the help of two great mentors, Missy Bousley and Diane are now teaching the courses and having a blast sharing their passion and leadership skills.