Introduction
Leaders of Literacy
Develop Community and Relationships PLC cultures engender spirited, positive relationships, and so should any commitment to making positive changes related to building students’ literacy skills. As you work to build a literacy-centered school, approach the work as a way to develop positive working relationships that focus on the common goal of student success. The best teacher teams focus on relationships. They create norms they adhere to, and they believe in their shared commitment to their subject area and student learning. Introducing teams to discussions related to literacy instruction should align with the commitment of these relationships, and, as we discuss later in this book, such discussions help teachers remember the value of teacher-student relationships. When approaching a student who might struggle with literacy-based skills, who might lack confidence in learning, or who might not be motivated to read or write, creating a positive teacher-student relationship is critical in helping the student to pivot. Likewise, when teachers work together for every student, it is important for individual teachers to rely on their teams to help with the challenges different students present. In our work, we value relationships because we value the idea that we are a team working for every student. Note that a literacy-centered school is not focused on simply employing a single literacy program or initiative but rather on embracing literacy work as a core value of its educational philosophy. There is no single program, tool, department, or leader capable of tackling alone the literacy statistics we reviewed earlier in the chapter. This is why schools need leaders who are ready and able to cultivate a literacy-focused PLC culture.
About This Book Our goal for this book is to support your efforts as a leader to build collaborative partnerships in your school that address teachers’ literacy concerns and better equip them to drive students’ acquisition of literacy skills. Such partnerships may occur on a number of levels, including the following. Core content teachers and teaching assistants Teacher leaders Instructional coaches School leaders and administrators District leaders
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