Our coaching practice is off to a great start this year! We have made several changes in our coaching approach. For the past two years, we have worked as full-time coaches due to our involvement in two separate literacy initiatives. This year Cornerstone is our sole focus, which has freed us to teach every day during the literacy block. This method of teaching has become an exceptionally effective way for us to reach other teachers. We have recruited three very accomplished teachers to join us in our endeavor. These teachers and the two coaches make up what we have dubbed the "Pilot Team.” The Pilot Team meets weekly to select quality literature for strategy studies and to confer about what is working, what is not, and how we can improve the teaching in all classrooms. The strength of the Pilot Team comes from having a variety of grade levels represented by respected colleagues. Our potential to reach every teacher at Charles H. Lake has tremendously increased s a result of the implementation of this amazing team. We have also revised our professional development schedule. Our meetings are more substantial and timely with the information we are providing in correlation to our Literacy Action Plan. Each grade level team meets for an hour and a half each month to discuss such topics as the Cornerstone Framework, asset map goals, and specific strategies. During one of our initial meetings, we played games to help teachers review the terminology used in the Cornerstone Framework. We even gave away prizes for participation. And, of course, there was food! We all had a wonderful time and everyone came away with a great attitude and confidence in using the vocabulary. All of these additions have made our coaching practice more successful, and more and more teachers are open to the Cornerstone philosophy.

In our self-reflection, we have learned that we, too, must be in the trenches alongside the teachers we are coaching. This gives us credibility among the kindergarten through third grade teachers. We practice everything that we preach, from the living language to the crafting sessions and invitational groups for reading and writing. We are truly aware of the responsibilities of the teachers, because after all, we are "the teacher next door” as one colleague has so fondly named us.

During the two-hour literacy block we take six children at varying ability levels from each of the second and third grade classes. These children come to us every day for the entire literacy block. Although they are not our homeroom children, we assume responsibility for all of their literacy learning. This plan works well for several reasons: