Literacy Coaching Services

Offerings by Patti Connolly

What is a literacy coach and what do they do?

Here is my definition of a Waldorf literacy coach – a Waldorf teacher who has specialized knowledge in the science of reading and who is dedicated to transforming that science into an ARTISTIC, imaginative, hands-on approach that meets children developmentally.

Not only does a coach have a breadth of experience and enthusiasm, but they are also dedicated to providing collegial, collaborative support to help interested fellow teachers build specific literacy teaching skills they themselves have identified as something they want to work on.

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How will we work together?

Similar to the coaching Atul Gawande describes in his article, Personal Best: Top athletes and singers have coaches. Should you? (Annals of Medicine, 2011) LINK HERE, you and I use a cycle of effective practices, beginning with a meeting during which we explore your questions and discuss your strengths in literacy instruction so that we can identify your goal.

We will also set a finite time frame for us to meet that goal together. With your goal set, we will brainstorm how you will learn it, identifying the appropriate lesson rhythm, teaching strategies, and/or activities needed to meet your goal.

Next comes the implementation of your action plan. We will engage in the most effective ways you can practice and learn what you want to know how to do. I have identified six ways that we might work together to help you learn best AND you might have more:

After we engage in a part of your action plan, we have a reflective conversation during which we review what you experienced or observed through a series of reflective questions. Through this review we determine if you have enough tools to move on by yourself or we figure out what else might do together so that you receive the needed support.

As you can see from this coaching cycle, you might decide to set a new goal and repeat the cycle again with or without me supporting you!

Fees

Please Request Information to discuss what you are looking for and with any questions you may have. I negotiate travel expenses depending on if I have other schools in the area requesting my services. We will also talk about sleeping accommodations and meal arrangements.

Patti's Qualifications

Here are some reasons why I decided to engage in literacy coaching:

  • I am passionate about meshing the Waldorf approach with best practices in literacy instruction!
  • I just completed a stint of teaching reading, spelling and writing to a class from Grade 1 through 4 at the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork using the curriculum of the Roadmap to Literacy as my guide from 2020-2024.
  • I have loved, loved, loved supporting class teachers in grades 1-3 through the co-teaching of Janet’s, Anna’s and my Waldorf Inspirations’ Teaching Literacy Courses since 2018.
  • I have been studying best practices in supporting fellow teachers as a mentor and evaluator for twenty+ years and have discovered that when a teacher chooses and collaborates on the support, they know they need, our work together is the most effective!

More About Us

Please read our biographies in the About Us section of our website. Over the years, we have supported schools and teacher training programs all over the globe. Let us know if you would like the name and contact information of folks who can share their impressions of our work with them.

We are so looking forward to talking with you on how one of us might best serve your school. It would be an honor.

Blessings on your work,
Patti