The Literacy Coach teaches a 2  1/2 hour literacy block in a host teacher's classroom.  The LC models best practices using the Literacy Collaborative® framework for the classroom teacher and coaches the host teacher when she/he teaches.  The LC helps the host teacher use best practices for planning, instruction, literacy assessment, and classroom management.  The LC at H. B. Sugg was in Mrs. Landen's kindergarten during the 2003-04 school year and is in Mrs. Burnette's first grade during the 2004-05 school year.  The rest of the day is spent coaching other K-2 teachers.

   The Literacy Coach coaches teachers 1:1 on using best practices for planning, instruction, literacy assessment, and classroom management.  The LC also models elements of the balanced literacy framework on an as needed basis.  Teachers sign up for coaching on the element of the framework that we are studying in our staff development class.  During the 2005-06 school year the LC is coaching 13 kindergarten through second grade teachers at H. B. Sugg and working with four host teachers.

  Part of being a Literacy Collaborative® school is to have continuous staff development and a literacy coach on campus to support the staff while they put to practice what they are learning.  We meet one to two times a month after school.  The topics we study range from best practices in teaching reading, writing, and word study and how to use the assessments we take, to guide our instruction.  During the 2005-2006 school year, all 22 classroom teachers and several resource teachers are involved in this staff development.

   Marie Lee is the literacy coach at H.B. Sugg.  She came to Sugg during the 2003-04 school year.  She has teaching experience in kindergarten through fourth grade and has been an educator since 1992.