Being a literacy leader is quite the balancing act! Literacy leaders take on a variety of roles and responsibilities in a school or district. They can be found planning professional development, coaching and observing teachers, teaching in a literacy intervention role, serving on the literacy team, developing school or district-wide literacy programs, and more. Many literacy leaders even split their time between coaching teachers and teaching students. Literacy leaders are becoming increasingly important in K-12 school settings, as they support both teachers and students!
Many schools strive to build capacity in their schools and district through literacy leaders (Shearer, Carr, & Vogt, 2019). These leaders coach and support teachers and also work collaboratively such as on a literacy team. Literacy has changed drastically over the past few decades and “…it seems obvious that no one person can have the knowledge, expertise wisdom, time, or experience to do it all and do it well. Literacy teams make sense today more than ever” (Shearer, et al., 2019, p. 72). These literacy teams are able to provide support to teaching staff in a variety of roles, while supporting the literacy goals of the school or district. A real difference is seen in student literacy achievement when capacity has been built in regards to effective literacy instruction across the teaching staff.
Literacy is ever-changing as new research is developed and new literacies, including technology are required to be incorporated into the classroom. Literacy instruction is not simple, rather it is quite complex to teach effectively. Additionally, students in our classrooms have a diverse array of literacy and instructional needs. Teachers need specific support to best meet their students’ needs, and literacy leaders play a crucial part in accomplishing this.
Literacy leaders support teachers and students in a variety of ways, but here are a few ways in which these leaders are vital to K-12 schools:
- Observe and coach teachers in planning literacy instruction
- Help plan professional development opportunities
- Instruct children who need additional literacy support (Title 1 or intervention teacher)
- Assist in curriculum design
- Guide teachers through self-reflection and assessment
- Support school or district assessment initiatives (Shearer, et al., 2019).
Literacy leaders make a meaningful difference in schools through a variety of roles. Their work to build capacity, in regards to literacy, in their schools and districts is vital. However, there are great disparities in schools that are able to fund literacy leaders and those that are not financially able.
I will leave you with this video that discusses the challenge we have here in the United States in regards to illiteracy. I believe that literacy leaders have the capability to change this narrative and better the literacy instruction in our schools by supporting both our teachers and students.
How do you think we can use literacy leaders to help change this narrative and ensure that more students aren’t left behind?
References:
Shearer, B.A., Carr, D.B., & Vogt, M. (2019). Reading specialists and literacy coaches in the real world (4th ed). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press
[BBC News]. (2017, October 30). The americans who can’t read-BBC news . Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UdvAg9SA14
Literacy Learning 