I’m really excited to have my colleague, Brett Bishop, as our guest blogger. He’s doing some great work in New Haven (CT) Palmer (MA) and in two schools in the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC). If you are looking for some principal coaching or support for your ILTs, reach out and let me know. I’d love to connect you with Brett who stands ready to help your principals and your schools.
While the uncertainty endures of whether teachers will have all, some, or none of their students in the same room with them for daily instruction, the leaders at Truman Elementary School continue to work hard and are FULLY INVESTED in their cycle of continuous improvement. The entire staff has embraced their instructional focus of vocabulary and the important role it plays in improving reading comprehension. Their improvement journey has led to coming to agreements about what high-quality vocabulary teaching and learning looks like to meet the needs of every student they serve. These conversations, while important, were challenging for a school that spans grades K-8. They started with an acronym, Words Open Reading Doors or W.O.R.D. This graphically organized description helped summarize their initial schoolwide professional development sessions.
As the staff saw evidence-based data around improved learning results, their commitment and belief in the importance of vocabulary instruction continued to grow. To their credit, they have sustained the hard work for two years. Moving forward, it felt important to clarify the results of their most recent definition in one document. Take a look at the newest iteration, “Vocabulary in Action”:
Hats off to the students and staff at Truman Elementary School for their perseverance and hard work!
Thankful to have this opportunity to partner on this journey with the team at Truman ES!
Brett Bishop
Focused Schools
