Notes
I introduced myself and shared that we had three purposes today:Â to get to know one another (personally and professionally), to outline what our work together could look like (what coaching is and what it isn’t), and to share successes and challenges she is currently facing in reading instruction.
Jennifer is a teacher at a small Catholic School with a 1/2 split (11 first graders and 10 second graders). This is her 31st year at this school! She taught kindergarten for 27 years and has had this split assignment for four years. She is married. Her son, Jack, is in his final year at KU. She has two dogs (Pepper and Remy) and suffered the loss of another dog recently. During Covid she started studying the Science of Reading on her own, utilizing books and podcasts.
She identified these successes: all but two of her second graders (this is her second year with them) are reading at grade level or above and her first graders are improving. For challenges, she named a particular second grader who is struggling (and some of the things she is doing to support him).
She shared her schedule/opportunities for literacy instruction, which includes Phonological and Phonemic Awareness, Heart Words, Word Study, small group instruction (she has five groups at different levels for phonics/spelling), CKLA, and Reading Workshop.
We will meet again on 3/30/26 at 4:00 to explore possibilities for a goal.