4. Describe your Coaching

During my discussions with Mrs. Blevins while preparing for my own demonstration of the Unit Organizer Routine with her students, and subsequently in discussions about her preparing to use it, I used the guidebook to follow the steps for preparation and implementation. We talked about the Cue-Do-Review sequence at length, and then discussed how she might coordinate the progression of the units she teaches to follow a logical progression for her students. She had assisted in construction of the Unit Organizer I presented to her students prior my instruction on the Reference Materials Unit, and I shared the examples within the guidebook as well as examples created during my own initial training for the first badge. Mrs. Blevins stated she felt using the Unit Organizer Routine would be a useful and effective technique for her language arts classes--especially with her inclusive classrooms. During her implementation, she provided some of her students with partially completed diagrams to meet their support needs, and shared that this was an effective tool with which to provide the necessary accommodations for individual students. Following Mrs. Blevins' use of the routine to introduce the Nonfiction Test-Organizational Patterns Unit, she returned to the Organizer as they covered each of the topics during that unit, adding to the Expanded Unit Map for each topic and brainstorming new questions.

During pre-school I worked with the other 8th grade science teacher and the science coach on unit organizers with SIM PDer Janice Creneti. I was able to introduce them to CERs and explain the SIM as well as give them a chance to read through some of the background of the research and value to students of the unit organizer routine. We went through the cue, do, review sequence and practiced the cue-do-review sequence to float a pre-made organizer. Thankfully Janice was there to help me when I almost forgot to give them a blank unit organizer to view and she reminded me to show them one of my completed unit organizer drafts. That helped to clarify how it starts and how it ends up looking. We went through the linking steps and worked on creating a unit organizer for a future unit. 

The teacher, who had seen my unit organizers before, started to notice the connections the unit organizer could help the students make within and between units. The science coach felt this was a good way for us to plan together and create standards-based lessons together. 

In continuing to implement the unit organizers we have met on a few occasions during planning to discuss the cue-do-review cycle and how and when to fit the unit organizer routine into the unit. One of the sticking points seems to be that the unit organizer is either for the start of the unit or the end, not necessarily the beginning, middle and end. We discussed different ways I have used it in all parts of my classroom instruction and he was able to brainstorm some ways he might implement it in other parts of his instruction. 

I partnered with Devonna Blevins-Marble who, at the time, was a 7th and 8th grade English teacher. After reviewing the Unit Organizer routine and the information in the book, she was excited to use this with her students. Devonna felt this was a good way to help all students understand "where they are going" in their learning. Furthermore, she felt it would help keep some of her students who struggled with organization more organized and also help them make connections throughout the school year. 

We partnered and worked together to co-construct four unit organizers aligned with the Virginia standards of learning prior to the start of the school year. We also decided that she would focus on 8th grade for the current year then work on creating unit organizers for 7th grade content over the next summer.

The biggest challenges we faced were (1) finding chunks of time to create the draft unit organizers and (2) drilling down on what standards each should focus on since the English content is cyclical and often encompasses an extensive list of learning strands/standards for each unit. 

Through all of the work, Devonna was happy with the products and excited to implement with her students.


Examples of draft unit organizers:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rm4hMGzfSYpIWKQCkP_-hjdd08s0JZAm

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cLXxrJ9UkBPrxLZ3y_B9H-LtXnq42ZTK

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DRZmNdpQkwyViyxhC0kZ8PQUEFmt3trc

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YDFuvypCH13XM6HAuZqwxxly2MXBLekf

I collaborated with the teacher over several weeks. Initial instruction began by preparing with the book.  I used it with her to show her all the parts-the linking steps and cue-do-review sequence.  The teacher is a co-teacher involved with VDOE training and kept making learning connections for herself with using the FRAME with her students.  After introducing the organizer and how to use it to the teacher  she wanted to play/learn by using a current unit.  So we put in the information for her current unit and created a draft organizer.  After submitting it to my coach for feedback we revised it and talked about our learning-especially in the area of how to make it easily understandable and accessible for the students. She realized she should use Blooms more often when planning.  My coach suggested we use the work we accomplished with the kids by using it to review a unit.  The kids were hooked and so was the teacher!  
We collaborated again on planning for the next course and decided we could launch a unit with the UO.  We developed a draft, got feedback from the coach, reflected and made revision.  We taught the kids in stations.  I modeled and taught with the UO for the first two stations.  She taught the last two stations.  She did a wonderful job, I provided feedback on her lesson.  She was careful to make certain she incorporated all essential components into her lesson.