Heather Williams

Coaching Session #8 – Reflection and Commitment to Change in Practice

Coachee: Heather Williams

Date/Time: May 13, 2026 4:05 p.m.

Overarching goal with students: 24 students will engage in whole group instruction for analyzing the vocabulary within question sets prior to taking them so that students understand what the questions are asking. The students will be responsible for selecting the vocabulary words that are difficult for them. Heather will use whole group instruction, student selection of vocabulary words, and frontloading meaning of the words as strategies for building these skills with the students. Students will be taking 10-11 question sets before the end of the academic year. The initial goal will be for students to achieve 80% by March 17, 85% by April 15, and 90% by May 15. The question sets themselves will be used as the data source to determine if the strategies are working.

Question Sets associated with The Phantom Tollbooth:

March 17: 80%+

April 10: 76% (Choosing 3 events that would summarize the text was difficult for the students on this assessment.)

April 16: 88%

April 21: 87% (Heather noted that 14 students achieved 100% on this assessment demonstrating great improvement.)

The remaining two quizzes were an 87% and 78%.

Problem of practice goal: Heather has worked on the students to improve their skills on the question that tripped them up on the last question set (choosing 3 events that would summarize the text). For the remaining question sets, Heather would like to again work on Tier 2 vocabulary and wants to see if the students can use the words in their own way: 1) Can they use the words in a sentence? And 2) Can they use the words in conversation with peers? She believes this would assist the students in correctly answering any vocabulary questions as well as general comprehension.

Coachee reflections: The final week we have really enjoyed reading this book together.  Students are loving the story.  This novel is very different from anything we have read this year and is a perfect text to end with.  They are having fun!  The text is relatable but also has challenges to keep rigor high.  I was able to continue to work through academic vocabulary as we went taking skills away from our previous goal.  I felt the students felt much more confident answering the questions with understanding.  I feel like they were able to learn and apply skill to take forward with them as they move on to another grade.  We shifted our focus to Tier 2 vocabulary keep consistent working with high student engagement and applying it in practical ways.  I do feel like this continued to help them with question sets but also added a layer.  My goal was that students could take a Tier 2 word and apply the category the word fit into and then add details or attributes in a sentence frame to create “their’ definition of the word.  I felt like they were able to have good discussion about creating this sentence to beset define the vocabulary word in their language which led to a better understanding of the word and was a word that they could then use going forward.  I felt that we were able to successfully have a tool to help them understand vocabulary they may encounter to help them with reading comprehension with complex text.   Overall my coaching experience was great and brought new ideas and ways to understand my students learning.

Coach reflections: The final coaching session was spent reflecting on what occurred with assessments over the past two weeks and the progress that students have made mastering vocabulary skills. Heather is deeply committed to seeing her students achieve success and making sure that the teachers they have next year understand all that has occurred to assist students with the current curriculum and the vocabulary they are encountering while reading.

Focus questions on problem of practice and vocabulary work with students:

What progress have you made with your students on Tier 2 vocabulary? Heather implemented another activity called Functions of Vocabulary. She selected five words from When You Reach Me. The students read the definitions and looked at synonyms and antonyms. They were then instructed to write a definition using words they would actually use. They were given a sentence frame to assist them when they worked within a group to complete the work. The students practiced two words together before working in a small group. The students enjoyed the activity. Then, they compared definitions and understood that a longer or shorter definition could both define the same word.

How are students responding to the question sets now that they have practiced a number of word attack skills to help them with these assessments?  Two question sets have been given. On the first one, students averaged 87%; and the last one the students averaged 78%. Heather attributes the lower percentage to students’ inability to focus during these final weeks of school. She noted that the Kansas State Assessment scores were excellent.

How are students responding to When You Reach Me? Students are loving the story—it is very relatable. They are struggling sometimes to make connections. They typically do not go back into the text to find evidence for “Right There” questions. The content of the story is different than what they were used to because they are focusing on comprehension, prediction, and summarization. The Wit and Wisdom curriculum focuses on different reading skills.

What will you work on as you finish the year with your students related to vocabulary?  There are two more sections in the book—they will finish on Friday. The students will take quizzes over these final sections.

What would you like to share with next year’s teachers about what your students have accomplished related to vocabulary and assessments?  Heather has worked with other teachers in BLT and SIP Team. Heather is on those committees and is sharing the information she has learned from her instruction this year. The grade levels will be getting together over the summer to present findings from this year’s work. Heather will make the point that students need to be engaged in discussions with one another to work on their vocabulary skills. Engagement will be key.

What kind of support do you believe your students will need in the fall to be successful? Across grade levels, there needs to be consistency and continuity using the Wit and Wisdom curriculum. If that is done, then each year will be easier for teachers and students.

In a perfect world, what would you like for your students to work on over the summer? Read. Find reading that interests them.

How will you communicate with families about what their students need to keep up their reading skills? Final email. There will be library events and program that offer opportunities communicated to the families.

Focus question about coaching:

What is your biggest take-away from the coaching sessions this semester? Heather appreciated the feedback from someone who is completely out of the district and the everyday complaining that often occurs in a school setting. She liked having a fresh, neutral perspective from someone on the outside that listens to what the situation is and prompt Heather to see something in a different way. Heather said it was a nice reminder of things that never stopped working and to pull those things back in and see what happens with the current students.