We’re delighted to feature Precious Daniels, a Reading Interventionist and Site Coordinator for Literacy Now, a nonprofit organization based in Houston, Texas that provides K–2 reading intervention tutoring programs in local schools. Precious utilizes the SIPPS program to serve students at both Houston Independent School District (ISD) and Aldine ISD.
In this spotlight, Precious shares about participating in Collaborative Coach to deepen her SIPPS professional learning. Collaborative Coach is Collaborative Classroom’s personalized, interactive, asynchronous coaching experience that provides one-on-one, curriculum-specific coaching for individual teachers or coaches in a safe and supportive environment.
Tell us a little about yourself and Literacy Now, the students that you serve, and the Collaborative Classroom program you currently implement.
I am an educator of 13 years with a background in K–8 Literacy. Throughout my years in education I have had the opportunity to teach students in low-economic areas how to read. I am currently a Reading Interventionist and Site Coordinator for Literacy Now, which is located in Houston, Texas.
Literacy Now is a non-profit organization that provides K–2 Reading Intervention literacy tutoring programs to low economic communities across Houston ISD and Aldine ISD.
I currently assist in both Houston ISD and Aldine ISD in providing reading intervention to students as well as support to other interventionists utilizing the SIPPS Beginning and Extension levels.
What is the most rewarding part of your work at Literacy Now?
For me, the most rewarding part of being an educator is the positive impact we [Literacy Now] have on not only our students, but the teachers as well as the campuses.
We are able to provide a service that helps the students and also supports the entire campus in efforts to build concrete foundational reading skills for K–2 scholars.
It is such a joy to see my students who were initially insecure about their reading abilities evolve; they are now confident and proud of what great readers they are becoming.
It is such a joy to see my students who were initially insecure about their reading abilities evolve; they are now confident and proud of what great readers they are becoming.
To have students who recognize their own growth is the reason I love what I do. I believed they could do it, and now they also see that they can.
What made you decide to sign up for Collaborative Coach? What intrigued you about this kind of professional learning?
Initially participating in Collaborative Coach was something I wanted to do to learn more about SIPPS, but then during the process, I realized it was something I needed.
What intrigued me about this kind of professional learning was that it has an individualized approach that is tailored to not only accommodate schedules, but to also give me a voice as to which area of the SIPPS curriculum I would best benefit from coaching.
What intrigued me about this kind of professional learning was that it has an individualized approach that is tailored to not only accommodate schedules, but to also give me a voice as to which area of the SIPPS curriculum I would best benefit from coaching.
These aspects make this type of professional learning unique and kept me actively engaged throughout the coaching cycle.
Tell us a little about how you partnered with your personal Collaborative Coach. What did you notice about the coaching cycle?
From the first day, my coach created a warm and welcoming learning environment.
It was evident how passionate she was about both the SIPPS curriculum and coaching. I appreciated that she was always approachable and looked to provide a positive balance of “glows” and “grows” in her feedback.
My coach really took time to analyze my assignments in order to strategically coach me in the areas that would better help me grow in implementing the routines within the SIPPS curriculum.
I noticed that throughout the Collaborative Coach cycle, my coach really took time to analyze my assignments in order to strategically coach me in the areas that would better help me grow in implementing the routines within the SIPPS curriculum.
I appreciate that although the coaching cycle is tailored to the individual, it is ultimately structured for educators to understand the overall purpose of building fluent readers through each level of the SIPPS curriculum.
What is something that you do differently now in your implementation of SIPPS, compared to before you engaged in Collaborative Coach?
Before engaging in Collaborative Coach I would jump into the lessons and navigate through each routine without providing the correct corrective feedback.
My coach helped me to realize that, to understand the routine, you must first understand its purpose. By understanding the purpose, then you can plan for areas where students may have errors and address them prior to the routine.
Doing this minimizes errors and helps the teacher know which corrective feedback would be best for that student.
Would you participate in asynchronous coaching again? What would you say to an educator who is considering Collaborative Coach?
The amount of SIPPS learning I was able to obtain in just one Collaborative Coach cycle had a huge impact on not only me, but also my students.
I would definitely participate in more asynchronous coaching to gain greater knowledge of the SIPPS Beginning, Extension, and Challenge levels.
The amount of SIPPS learning I was able to obtain in just one Collaborative Coach cycle had a huge impact on not only me, but also my students.
There is so much to learn about SIPPS! Even if you feel like an expert with the routines and the program, there is always a hidden gem that can be uncovered by working with a Collaborative Coach.
For those that are simply considering Collaborative Coach … don’t consider it, DO IT! Not just for yourself as an educator, but for the sake of your scholars.
***
Read an interview with Literacy Now’s Chief Operating Officer, Jacklyn Minimah-Wilson.
Explore Collaborative Coach professional learning for the SIPPS (Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words) K–12 program.
Watch a video clip of a Literacy Now reading tutor discussing SIPPS on the Kelly Clarkson Show.
Discover why so many state departments of education are recommending SIPPS.
Learn more about Texas-based Literacy Now.