Transforming School Literacy:
The Power of Expert Coaching in Sustainable Change
When schools undertake literacy transformation, the role of expert coaching can be transformative. Mt Barker South Primary School's five year journey demonstrates how partnership with a literacy consultant became a catalyst for sustainable change, building teacher capacity and revolutionising student engagement in reading and writing.
The Catalyst for Change
The school's transformation began with a review that highlighted the need for changes in literacy approach. Principal Cassie recalls the initial connection with their literacy consultant, Sharon: "The teachers came back from a workshop raving about this Sharon Callen and how amazingly inspiring she is around text choices and starting with a love of reading and that's exactly where we started. I remember the first staff meeting we had, they were the most enthusiastic I'd seen."
This early enthusiasm proved crucial, as the school faced significant challenges. "The school was seeing a reluctance for students to enjoy reading and writing. It was a bit of a chore, and the results were showing it," Cassie explains.
Expert Coaching as a Foundation for Change
The partnership with their literacy consultant provided several key elements that supported successful transformation:
- Building Teacher Confidence Through Side-by-Side Coaching
Individual coaching proved transformative for teachers. As Cassie explains: "Sometimes having someone see something you don't see with fresh eyes in a really respectful and supportive manner is a bit of a game changer for you really... To be able to have somebody next to you say, 'Have you thought maybe of trialling this?' or 'What do you see happening over there?' and just bringing your attention to things that you might not have seen is invaluable."
The impact of coaching extended beyond individual sessions: "Once you'd left for that day, the teachers would be talking for weeks about what they tried in their classrooms differently, or Sharon suggested maybe tweaking this, or having eyes here, they'd be sharing that. So it's almost like here's the professional learning, but it just continues."
- Personalised Professional Learning
The consultant's approach combined whole-staff professional learning with personalised support. "We did have you working with teachers coming out to plan initially and I think that served its purpose at the time, absolutely. Because it was that lovely personalised approach to each teacher, so they were getting professional development for them," Cassie notes.
This evolved into classroom-based coaching: "In the classroom I think was that next step up because they were doing the teaching, and you were able to give them the feedback at that really nice time. It was just timely and just for them and they could adjust and see a result and build a little bit of confidence there."
- Resource Selection and Implementation
The literacy consultant played a crucial role in supporting text selection and implementation. As Cassie shares: "Coming from something that was so heavily scripted to then .... you've got these children in front of you, what are you noticing... The beautiful text that you supported us to use really helped that and then they could trial that in their class."
Creating Sustainable Structures
The consultant and principal helped establish sustainable structures that would support ongoing development:
- Literacy Action Teams
The formation of a Literacy Action Team became central to the school's approach. "We have half of our teachers on Literacy Action Team, half of our teachers on the Numeracy Action Team, and then they come back and feed into their year level instructional team," explains Cassie. This structure ensures continuous professional learning and collaboration.
- Structured Planning Sessions
Year-level planning sessions were established with clear protocols, supported by the consultant's guidance. A Year 5 teacher describes their collaborative approach: "The way Renee and I work is that one of us will plan the reading workshops for one of the units and the other person plans the writing workshops and we make sure when we meet weekly that they are matching, that they are linking."
- Resource Management Systems
The school developed efficient systems for managing and sharing resources, building on the consultant's recommendations: "It's on Microsoft Teams and thankfully Kate's in that role. So she's created a range of folders in there. It's really easy and accessible from home and at school, anywhere, really," said Cassie.
Shifting Teaching Practices
The consultant's support led to significant shifts in teaching practice:
- Reading Workshop Evolution A Year 5 teacher reflects on the changes: "Game changers are having a really strong library in your classroom that kids have access to... letting the children read for a good period of time by themselves, independently, diving into the book... How can you really dive into a book if you are constantly changing from one thing to another?"
- Writing Development The focus on connected literacy experiences has transformed writing instruction. A Year 3 teacher explains: "Everything is very well connected now... It just flows well from reading to a text that matches up to what we're learning about. Amazing vocabulary into word work and spelling work and then into writing that same day."
- Impact on Student Learning The transformation has led to significant changes in student engagement and identity: "As you walk around the school, and it could be anyone coming into the school, they will hear students talking about themselves as being readers and writers. That's beautiful," shares Cassie. The impact extends beyond the classroom, with increased library borrowing and greater family engagement in literacy. A Year F teacher observes the increased engagement: "The other day when Everest was reading this book, he was like, 'Oh, there's racing cars!' And there was so much animation and so much expression and tone in his voice because he was so excited about the book."
Key Elements for Successful Coaching Partnership
Several factors emerged as crucial for maximizing the impact of expert literacy coaching:
- Leadership Support
Strong leadership support ensured the coaching could be effective. The school provided:
- Release time for teachers to work with the coach
- Resources to implement recommendations
- Structured time for planning and collaboration
- Systematic Implementation
The school took a measured approach to change:
- Started with reading before expanding to other areas
- Built teacher confidence gradually
- Created sustainable systems for resource sharing and planning
- Collaborative Culture
The coaching supported development of a collaborative culture where:
- Teachers regularly shared practices
- Planning became a collaborative process
- Professional learning was ongoing and embedded
Recommendations for Schools
For schools considering similar transformation with expert coaching support:
- Invest in Relationships Build strong relationships between the coach and teachers through regular, sustained contact and support.
- Create Supporting Structures Establish systems that support the coaching work, including:
- Regular planning time
- Professional learning teams
- Resource management systems
- Focus on Sustainability Ensure changes can be sustained by:
- Building teacher capacity
- Creating clear documentation
- Establishing collaborative practices
- Value Professional Learning Prioritise ongoing professional learning through:
- Side-by-side coaching
- Structured planning sessions
- Regular team meetings
Conclusion
The school's experience demonstrates that expert literacy coaching can be a powerful catalyst for sustainable change. By combining whole-school professional learning with personalised coaching and support, schools can build teacher capacity and create lasting improvements in literacy teaching and learning. The key lies in creating structures that support the coaching work while building sustainable practices that can evolve and grow over time.
As Cassie reflects on their future: "I don't see any big changes happening. I just see continual refinement. Bringing new children into the fold as we are continuing to grow new teachers. But again those systems and structures support those teachers." This ongoing refinement, built on the foundation of expert coaching and strong systems, ensures the sustainability of their literacy transformation.
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