Everyone in the Reading Recovery Community has been impacted by an incredible Teacher Leader. Teacher Leaders are highly trained professionals who are leaders in their local districts where they teach children, train Reading Recovery teachers for local schools, analyze and report student outcomes, educate the local educators, advocate for what cannot be compromised, and communicate with the public.

Before they can get started at home, all Teacher Leaders must complete an academic year of full-time professional development at a registered university training center in the United States or a regional institute in Canada.

After the initial year, teacher leaders return to full-time positions in their districts/sites and ongoing professional development. They continue to learn during this field year with the guidance and support of their university trainers. They teach children daily in Reading Recovery, train Reading Recovery teachers, and provide leadership at their site. Reading Recovery works. Teacher Leaders are dedicated and tireless advocates for doing whatever it takes.

Join us this year as we follow the journey of Courtney Smith at Clemson University as she trains to be a Teacher Leader. “I am excited to become a Teacher Leader because I chose to come to Spartanburg District 3 in order to learn Reading Recovery,” she shares.  “I had the opportunity to train underneath a wonderful Teacher Leader and look forward to continuing the district’s tradition of excellence in literacy instruction.  This allows me to not only impact students that I personally teach but dozens of students through my leadership of trained Reading Recovery teachers and training [Emergent Bilingual] teachers in our district.”

Courtney Smith taught for 15 years in Kindergarten, First and Second Grade, and as a Reading Interventionist.  She received her Bachelor’s in Psychology, then decided she wanted to follow in her parents’ footsteps and become a teacher.  She graduated from the College of Charleston with a Master’s in Early Childhood Education.  Since becoming a teacher, she has completed her EdS in Administration and Supervision and achieved National Board Certification in Early and Middle Childhood Literacy.  Her passion is teaching reading and teaching students to have a love of reading that will carry them throughout their lives.  In her time away from school, she loves to travel, hike and kayak.

Check back in September for an update from Courtney as her journey to become a Teacher Leader begins!

April Hamilton Lexington County School District One Lexington, SC

Anna Hancock Chesterfield County School District Chesterfield, SC

Erica Kenoyer Papillion La Vista Community Schools Papillion, NE

Sarah Mayer Plainfield School District 202 Plainfield, IL

E. Louise Raigoza Muskogee Public Schools Muskogee, OK

Leslie Ray Davis County Community School District Bloomfield, IA

Lora Reavis Muskogee Public Schools Muskogee, OK

Marnie Robles Tucson Unified School District Tucson, AZ

Julie Schwartzbauer Oshkosh Area School District Oshkosh, WI

Courtney Smith Spartanburg School District Three Spartanburg, SC

By RRCNA President Maeghan McCormick

My career in education has always seemed to lean towards literacy. No matter where I was in my journey, I felt the support of a community of collaborative teachers committed to doing whatever it takes. As RRCNA’s incoming President, I am humbled to work on this community’s behalf to share the importance of Reading Recovery.

I was fortunate early in my teaching life to have wonderful professional learning and opportunities to inform my literacy instruction. In my first year of teaching, I joined a book study for Fountas and Pinnell’s Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children. This small group of teachers, led by a mentor teacher, shaped my beliefs about literacy.  As we studied, we also had the opportunity to observe literacy instruction in classrooms.  It was a supportive and helpful community for a novice teacher. Little did I know how much my literacy community would grow!

In 2002, four years into my teaching career, I had the opportunity to train to become a Reading Recovery Teacher and I jumped at it. I was eager to learn more about early literacy learning and acquisition. Again, I was fortunate to have a strong community of teachers, led by a Teacher Leader, to learn about literacy processing theory, sensitive observation, and support of individual students. I was thrilled to become a Teacher Leader the following year.  Once again, I found myself in a professional community of like-minded individuals learning to develop a deeper understanding of Clay’s theory to train and support Reading Recovery teachers. I am in awe of the power of Reading Recovery for students and the deep learning it provides for teachers.

Nineteen years later, I am immeasurably appreciative to be a part of the Reading Recovery community; this community has given me so much professionally and personally. Countless Reading Recovery teachers teach me so much and share their lessons and students with me. Teacher Leaders whom I am grateful to call colleagues and friends push me to improve my practice and understanding. Trainers influence and inspire me more than any others in this profession; the Reading Recovery Board provides leadership and advocates for Reading Recovery and responsive early literacy instruction. Even the incredibly professional staff at RRCNA works tirelessly to ensure our vision and mission are possible. Our community is special.

The Reading Recovery Community has inspired, energized, and uplifted me throughout my career.  As your RRCNA President, I am honored to represent this community. Together, we will advocate for all that Reading Recovery offers, from our documented results for building better readers to developing teacher expertise that impacts a school community.  We will celebrate and learn together face to face for the first time in 3 years at LitCon in January. When this community comes together, virtually or in person, it is incredible. We are committed to doing “whatever it takes,” and I am excited to see what we can accomplish next. 

Maeghan McCormick has been involved with Reading Recovery for 19 years, 18 of those as a Teacher Leader. She is currently on the 2022-23 Board of Directors as President for RRCNA.

Video shared with permission by Dr. Sam Bommarito, author of Dr. Sam 7, Seeking Ways to Grow Proficient, Motivated, Lifelong Readers & Writers: https://doctorsam7.blog/2022/07/09/an-interview-with-peter-afflerbach-about-his-new-book-teaching-readers-not-reading-conducted-by-dr-sam-bommarito/ 

Dr. Peter Afflerbach (NAEP Reading Framework Committee and Research Fellow of the American Educational Research Association) challenges the idea that there is a single “science of reading.” In his experience as a K-12 classroom teacher, remedial reading teacher, university reading clinic director, and reading researcher, Dr. Afflerbach understands that multiple reading strategies and skills are essential for students’ reading success. Those strategies and skills are not all that developing readers need! They need motivation and engagement, self-efficacy, metacognition, self-regulation, and healthy attributions–each of which represents a “science” and has a robust research base. Each is given full consideration when we teach readers, not reading.

In this interview, Dr. Sam Bommarito discusses Dr. Peter Afflerbach’s new book, Teaching Readers (Not Reading). “I think my readers will find this book to be a treasure trove of ideas about how to teach reading in a way that will promote the creation of lifelong readers (and writers!),” he shares. From the sciences of reading to looking outside strategies and skills, this valuable conversation is one you don’t want to miss.

Register today for 2023 LitCon to hear Peter Afflerbach as a Keynote speaker!

By RRCNA Immediate Past President Leslie McBane

Summer is here at last! And here I am, at the end of my RRCNA presidency. Since I have a bit of time to reflect, lately I’ve been thinking about what our Community has been able to nurture and grow in the midst of an increasingly fractious literacy landscape. 

Back in 1991, Marie Clay was prescient when she stated, “I find the big debates divisive, for people feel obligated to take up opposing positions on matters like phonological awareness, the reader’s use of context, and the nature of getting meaning from texts.”  (p. 3). She knew that holding a complex theory of literacy development would serve to keep us out of the weeds of oversimplified conclusions. We are attempting to grow readers and writers while narrow views and simplistic theories are threatening to starve these tender sprouts by withholding needed nutrients — such as continuous text, responsive teaching, and books with natural language patterns. Instead, let’s make sure they thrive by clearing away the weeds of compromise. And let’s keep our garden litter-free while we’re at it. 

What might constitute the ‘litter’ in our Community?  It is found in the clamor of voices, the clutter, if you will, of opinions and viewpoints that make a mess of the landscape but do not really achieve anything of value. The distractions that get our attention but aren’t worthy of our time and energy.  The social media pettiness and noise that saps our energy. We’ve got some litter defacing our garden. When is it our responsibility to pick up the trash, and when must we leave it to decompose? And how, exactly, can we address real concerns without adding to the debris? 

For starters,  we can speak up against misinformation and oversimplification wherever it appears — on social media or in person. Our message continues to be, “Whatever it takes.” We can make it a personal responsibility to respond thoughtfully to those who may not agree with us. Think of it as making sure that our personal space is clutter-free.  This requires refining how we describe our work, and using all of our  ingenuity to clarify what we say and do when others misrepresent Reading Recovery  theory and practice. In our own backyards, we must become adept at presenting our viewpoints with more than just fervor.  

Litter is not only an eyesore, it is depressing. But, in contrast, our message is attracting others because  it is attractive. We have a joyful message. There are countless stories of cheerful readers and writers who – guided along different paths – have entered the world of literacy with competence and success. My most recent student, Tyler, approaches reading and writing with exuberance, agency, and good humor. When I recently cut a word in his cut-up sentence into parts, he exclaimed, “Get a medic!”  Tyler has a can-do spirit in part because he has successfully learned how to look at print. And my hope for each of us is that we, too, learn how to look. To train our eyes to see possibilities among the problems. To see  growth emerging through the garbage. 

Serving as President of RRCNA has been an immense honor and  responsibility. But my personal and collective advocacy on behalf of kids is not tied to a role.  No matter where we find ourselves, each of us has tremendous opportunities to speak up and speak out. Let’s tend our Reading Recovery Community garden shoulder to shoulder, so that young learners can thrive in the sun. 

Citations: 

RRCNA vision statement 

Clay, M. M. (2016). Literacy lessons designed for individuals (2nd ed.). Heinemann. 

Leslie McBane has been involved with Reading Recovery for 25 years, 21 of those as a Teacher Leader. She has also served as a literacy coach through Literacy Collaborative. She is currently on the 2022-23 Board of Directors as Past President for RRCNA.

It’s that time of year again! Members gathered at the historic Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky for a chance to learn and recharge at the 2022 Teacher Leader Institute.

The program kicked off on Tuesday with a fascinating session with Rachael Gabriel about the historical context and new trends shaping the stories being told about reading instruction. Next, attendees headed into a celebration of new Teacher Leaders and a reception. Three years after our last in-person Teacher Leader Institute, it was electric to be in-person with friends and colleagues again!

On Wednesday, the Teacher Leader Institute began with attendees learning how to tell their Reading Recovery story. Teacher Leaders and Trainers shared stories of success and transformation, and some even filmed testimonials we’ll share soon with the Reading Recovery Community! In between sessions, attendees reconnected with friends and shopped from the exhibit hall.

A favorite session on Thursday was Increasing the Power for Coaching Using the Tools of Reading Recovery with Mary Fried and Janet Buffalino. After each General Session, attendees broke into in-depth discussions with their homeroom, a small group designed to make deeper connections with other Teacher Leaders. After the day of learning was over, many attendees headed to Churchill Downs for a night at the races!

Photo Credit: Lesley Reading Recovery & Literacy Collaborative

Friday, attendees heard updates from the Hub and IDEC. The Institute ended with a panel discussion (with Gay Su Pinnell, Connie Briggs and Anne Simpson) on finding agency as attendees take the next steps in Reading Recovery. With hugs and fist bumps, attendees headed home to take a nap and apply what they learned to their sites and lessons.

It’s not a “goodbye;” it’s a “see you later.” We’ll see everyone at LitCon in January!