Leadership Support–The Gift of Time! Part 2 of 3
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When implemented properly, Daily 5 will create a literacy structure conducive to learning for every child. Children will have the opportunity to receive whole group, small group, and individualized instruction based on their specific needs as a reader. For an impact this significant to occur, it takes time. The time for teacher planning, time to collaborate with colleagues, and time to get Daily 5 up and running in the classroom are the building blocks to a strong implementation. A supportive administrator can make all the difference as a teacher begins implementing Daily 5 in their classroom.
What Can a Leader Do?
1. First, understand that Daily 5 implementation takes time. A teacher who works to implement Daily 5 effectively will take time in their regular schedule to explicitly model, teach have students practice and build their stamina for the expected behaviors and routines to students. This launching period takes approximately 5 - 6 weeks. During this time, teachers might feel pressure because they are not covering as much of the curriculum as they would like. However, once routines are in place and students are engaged in the sound Daily 5 literacy practices, teachers not only catch up but exceed the pace of the large group instruction. It is important for administrators to understand this and support teachers as they teach the Daily 5 and support students as they build stamina.
2. Allow and encourage collaboration - Teaching is a team sport! Teachers need to be able to celebrate successes, reflect on challenges, and share ideas. Encourage and provide time for teachers to collaborate about what is going on in their classrooms during Daily 5 and CAFE. There are many possibilities for doing this.
- Provide small blocks of time (10-15 min.) during meetings where teachers can collaborate with each other.
- Organize a school-wide book study from our site. You will find guides for for this at the bottom of the page.
- Allow teachers to visit other classrooms during the Daily 5/CAFE block to see what it looks like at different grade levels with different teachers.
- Support a group membership to www.thedailycafe.com, where teachers can utilize the many resources and even participate in the discussion board with teachers from all over the world!
Encouraging collegial collaboration and allowing teachers to take the time needed to teach students the components of The Daily 5 and build stamina will be one of the best ways you can support your teachers and increase reading success in your school!
