February+25,+2011+-+Elem+2

February 25, 2011 || Facilitator Today: ||
 * Instructional Coach CoP Meeting **
 * Meeting Date:
 * Recorder Today: Liz Andrews || Timekeeper: ||
 * Team Members Absent: || Team Goal: Team Goal:Student achievement will improve as a result of our increased effectiveness of coaching cycles, lesson study, learning labs or planning days. ||


 * Topics/ Meeting Outcomes: To discuss our experiences with the Fierce Conversations that we had. **


 * Questions/ Concerns/ Requests: **
 * We talked about Word Work and how teachers use it (effectively or not) **
 * Cindy shared how she implements word work within her literacy groups. **
 * We need to synthesize what works well with each program and use them together. **
 * We all have great knowledge in varying areas and we need to be able to build off of eachother's expertise. **
 * Our field is an evolutionary field and we have to allow ourselves to get better at it. **
 * Kelly shared about some fierce conversations that she had had. She had planned a couple of them, but not one that came on suddenly. The sudden conversation came off without a hitch as Kelly was able to follow the steps! **
 * Liz shared about some fierce coversations that she had that helped the staff move forward with the principal's guidance. **
 * Coaching is hard work!!! We are in the work to make instruction better and that is not always welcome! **
 * "How we spend our days is how we spend out lives!" AnnieDillard - __Fierce Conversations__. **
 * Longfellow: "If we could read the secret history of others we should find in each's mans life sorrow and suffering enoughto disarm all hositility." **
 * Cindy talked about being present in the conversation and how powerful this is for the conversations. **
 * "Discovering someone else's authentic self can be complicated by our increasing cynisism." __Fierce Conversations__ **

**Agenda for Next Meeting:** **We will discuss more fierce conversations.**
 * "Delivering a difficult message is like throwing a hand grenade. Coated with sugar, throw hard or soft, a hand grenade is still a hand grenade. Choosing not to deliver a a hand grenade is like hanging on to a hand grenade once you've pulled the job!" __Difficult Conversations__ **

**Assignments for Next Meeting: Who needs to bring what?**

**Questions/ Concerns/ Celebrations:**