WriterCoach Connection

Berkeley Association of Realtors builds a funding roof over WriterCoach Connection

On April 25, the Berkeley Association of Realtors granted us $2,000 to help support expansion of WCC at Berkeley High's Green Academy next year. This generous gift comes from the BAR's Youth Arts and Education Fund, supported by individual member realtors who contribute a portion of their commissions to support youth in the communities served by the Association's members. 

This funding will enable us to widen our horizon at Berkeley High's Green Academy, where we are serving the 12th grade this year and where, with a boost from the Berkeley Association of Realtors, we plan to expand to serve the school's 9th graders next year.

The BAR website includes a video of grant recipients, expressing their thanks. At the 4:20 mark of the 5:04 video, you'll spot your correspondent voicing gratitude on behalf of everyone associated with WCC, particularly in Berkeley, and most especially at Green Academy.

Bob Menzimer

WriterCoach Connection at Berkeley High: teacher wants more!

We're planning the continuation of WCC for next year at Berkeley High's Green Academy, where we are coaching 12th grade students this year. Teacher Dagny Dingman is hoping we can expand writer coaching next year to include Green's 9th grade composition classes.

In the course of conversations about next year, Dagny had this to say about WCC:

"The program has been fabulous, has worked very well with my courses. The students have gotten a lot out of their work with coaches. Their writing has become more autonomous, less about me directing the writing process, and more about them being engaged in the writing process as it comes from them and from their work with people besides me. Their work therefore more accurately reflects what they'll be doing with their writing after high school, when they'll be more on their own. WCC also forces me to assign more writing, so the kids simply do more of it. We work on assignments longer, with more revisions. For the students, writing becomes less of an isolated activity, more of a constant exercise. WCC helps to demystify writing for my students."

We certainly hope to be back at Green next year, with writing support for students at Green Academy, and for Dagny and her teaching colleagues.

Bob Menzimer

Remember when it was summer?

The winds of autumn may be blowing Bay Area leaves around and there may even be rain in the forecast, but summer isn't so far back in our rear-view mirrors. Even as East Bay classes swing into their second month of the new school year and we resume fall writer coaching, I'm reminded of a remarkable scene that played out again in Berkeley classrooms a short time ago: writer coaching in summer school.

As they've been doing for a number of years, WCC associates Priscilla Myrick and Jeanine Brown organized a flock of our writer coaches to volunteer in summer-school classes this year. The coaches supported the two 7th grade English classes (more than 60 students) taught by King Middle School English and Read 180 teacher Steven Conley. More than 20 experienced coaches provided 200+ hours of one-on-one coaching for five consecutive Tuesday mornings over the course of the five-week summer session. The coaches provided almost 250 individual half-hour coaching sessions, working with every student every week. Whenever possible, the same coach was assigned with the same student, a key ingredient in the formula that helps build a relationship and allows students and coaches to build on previous sessions, maximizing the development of writing and critical thinking skills.

Mr. Conley wrote a heart-felt appreciation to the coaches, affirming, "The improvement was beyond anything I had expected. The students' weekly test scores raised from 2.3 to 3.1. On a four-point scale, this is massive growth. I also firmly believe that the dropout rate would have been much higher, without the writing coaches." 

We like to think of WriterCoach Connection as a value-added service in many ways, and summer-school coaching in Berkeley is one of them!

Bob Menzimer

 

Teachers tell why they love WriterCoach Connection

Teachers today face daunting curricular loads and badly overcrowded classrooms. Imagine trying to cram in the required instructional material while attempting to give individual attention to up to 30 students in a class. Virtually impossible. So imagine the impact on a teacher who has a team of trained coaches on hand to offer one on one writing support to every student in class.

No need to imagine it. Here's what the teachers say.

Remarks Caitlin Alastra, a Longfellow Middle School teacher in Berkeley who serves students in Read 180 classes, for students performing below and far below grade level:

"I taught my students last year in 6th grade so I can say from experience that my Read 180 students   are producing much more high-quality writing as 7th graders, thanks to the support of the writer coaches. On several occasions my students have returned from meeting with their coaches elated by words of encouragement from their coach.  For these students, being able to express their ideas in writing is a huge victory.  I'm deeply appreciative for the positive experiences with writing the writer coaches have facilitated with these emerging writers."

Caitlin's Read 180 teaching colleague Nina Ziskin notes:

"Many of the Read 180 students were initially resistant to the idea of working with the writer coaches. I believe they are afraid of exposing their low skills to strangers. However, as the year has progressed, the students are more willing to receive assistance from the coaches, and have even begun to state that they find it helpful. 

"The students' increased willingness to take advantage of an opportunity for assistance, despite the risks to their self-esteem, is one of the benefits I have observed this year. I think this improvement is at least partly related to the coaches' willingness to modify their approach to meet the individual needs of each student. I am hopeful that the students are learning the value of taking a risk and accepting help when it is offered. 

 "One academic difference I notice from last year (when Read 180 didn't have coaches) is that the students are writing longer paragraphs, with more detail.

"Finally, it must be obvious, but there is no way the students could get this much individual attention   from just one teacher." 

 And from Albany Middle School teacher Jamie Heans:

"Considering the number of students in a classroom (thirty or so students, one teacher), it’s a real challenge to teach writing.  One of the best interventions to overcome that ratio is WriterCoach Connection. I couldn’t give students this kind of one-on-one attention at this point.

 "I’ve noticed that with writer coaching, the students’ papers are dramatically better. Students respond to the coaching and will tell you that they enjoy it. I’ve heard them  make comments like, 'My writer coach really liked my piece! She wrote lots of comments about it.' Students feel honored and valued as writers when volunteers come in and give them this one-on-one attention.  

"This is valuable contact time. The student-coach pairing is a great relationship."

We're deeply grateful to these dedicated teachers who go out of their way to craft writing assignments for writer-coach support and represent a key factor in the success of WriterCoach Connection.

 

Bob Menzimer                                                                                                                                                                  

 

 

 

 

Through a writer coach's eyes

Charles Burress is a former staff writer with the San Francisco Chronicle and current editor of the online El Cerrito Patch. As WriterCoach Connection gained steam last fall in its inaugural year at El Cerrito High School, Charles wanted to communicate the experience of being a new WCC volunteer to his Patch readers. I thought his words would really resonate for anyone who is thinking about signing up to be a WCC volunteer; they almost certainly echo the experience of many veteran writer coaches. Here's what Charles had to say:

 

"When I volunteered last year to be a 'writing coach' for young teens in Berkeley and Albany schools, I immediately began to fear I'd made a big mistake.

"I'd never done such a thing and had no idea how to go about it. I pictured myself nervous and flummoxed by bored, fidgety youngsters who had a thousand other things they'd rather be doing.
Luckily, however, I had signed up with a terrific East Bay program called WriterCoach Connection. No previous experience was necessary, and after two well-crafted training sessions, I was issued my ID and a starting date at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley.

"I was still nervous in that first one-on-one coaching session, but I quickly discovered that the training had prepared me well. The students were listening and responding. Their willingness to follow through and apply the suggestions they heard varied, of course, but the great majority of them were tuned in and eager to learn.

"By the time I finished several weeks later, I had developed a keen interest in how 'my kids' were progressing. The delight I felt in seeing their work gradually improve was much greater than I would have predicted, and I still remember moments of discovery and increased self-confidence that brightened their faces.

"I'm recalling my experience now because I want to encourage interested readers to consider making a difference in a young person's life.

"Don't worry about not knowing how to go about it. Having begun ten years ago in Berkeley, the program has evolved a surprisingly effective training program -- consisting of two sessions -- that prepares the volunteer coaches well. The training is also an enjoyable way to meet some of the fellow coaches. My sessions even had free cookies.

"Many of us can recall a single sentence or piece of advice that some adult told us when we were young that left a lasting impression on our minds, perhaps on our lives. The adults, however, seldom know when they've planted such a seed.

"WriterCoach Connection, in my view, offers a rich garden where the guidance of adults may enjoy a much higher yield.

"The harvest, as it should be, belongs chiefly to the youth -- an increased ability to find their own voice, to express themselves more effectively and to take pride in their work.

"But there are rewards for the adults too."

When Charles looks up from his vantage point as a WCC volunteer, this is what he sees: pairs of students and coaches in the King writer-coaching room, working intently on the teacher's assignment, focused on the development of the students' writing and critical thinking skills.

Many thanks to Charles for sharing his experience as a WCC volunteer!

Bob Menzimer

 

Berkeley school superintendent visits WriterCoach Connection volunteers in action

Earlier this month, Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Bill Huyett visited our writer coaches in action with 8th-grade students at King Middle School in Berkeley. As the photo below clearly demonstrates, Mr. Huyett remained actively engaged throughout his visit, sitting with individual coach-student pairs for a very close look at the magic of writer coaching.

BUSD Superintendent Bill Huyett is clearly focused on the connection between WCC coach Jacquie Hale and a King Middle School student during a site visit in early December.

Bob Menzimer

The Word about writer coaching from Longfellow students

We can stare at a blank page all we want, trying to figure out how to convey the essence of writer coaching, to communicate the value of what we do in the classroom. But sometimes it's best to just get out of the way and let students tell the story. Here are some comments from Berkeley students at Longfellow Middle School as they completed work with their writer coaches this spring.

"I appreciate that you help me with my writing. I don't know why a person as smart as you would be teaching middle school but thank you and I'm so lucky to have someone like you and that means something because I don't believe in luck.Thank you and I hope to work with you again." 

"I liked when we were both wearing pink on the same day! I like when you always listen to me when I have to say something."

"I wanted to thank you for coming by and taking time out of your day to help me. I appreciate when you gave me ideas when I didn't have anything to write. Last but not least I wanted to thank you for not giving up on me when things got rough n' always telling me good job."

"I really appreciate you guys/ladies coming in and helping us with our writing. Thank you so much for  correct punctuation & spelling and helping us make our writing better. I really love how you guys/ladies found ways to make our writing better by using the ideas we already had in mind or on the paper. I'm so grateful we have the chance to have writing coaches because not everyone has that type of opportunity. Writing coaches helped not only me but a lot of my friends. I want to show my appreciation for how you  would try to understand what was already written and didn't criticize it but still found ways to help make it more academic or even better. I'm glad you guys were here."

"Thanks for helping me realize my mistakes. If you hadn't helped me with my writing I would have had a lot of mistakes which would've been bad. I also appreciated it when listening to my writing or reading with me. When you listened to me I felt good because that means that you cared and wanted to help me."

Want to see a visual representation of this emotion? Here's coach Nettie Hoge, with a Longfellow student:

 Put yourself in this picture! Fall coach training classes are starting soon, and you can sign up here.

Bob Menzimer

Think writer coaches take the summer off? Think again!

This illuminating account describing the particular dedication and rewards of writer coaching is from veteran WCC volunteer Kent Wright:

Summer is not just for making sorbets.   For some eighth graders in Berkeley it means summer school.  For some teachers that means a challenging few weeks, and for a few writer coaches it means pitching in to help.  At Longfellow we coached for three weeks the writing of an essay on “Attitude.”  It was not always easy, but it definitely had high points.

The final Tuesday morning the coaches gathered around a still locked door to our room while someone searched for the illusive man with the key.  On the opposite side of the hallway, our students had begun to collect before a similarly locked door.  Within minutes their teacher arrived and greeted them with, “X______ take off your hat!” rolled her eyes in our direction as if to say, “Can you believe it?” and repeated the order about the hat.  We soon learned that teacher couldn’t locate the essay drafts the students had turned in and which we were supposed to whip into final form that morning.*  While Priscilla (a terrific leader) went off to see what might be salvaged of the situation, the rest of us began to discuss what me might do.   The ideas began to flow back and forth, and quickly it became a mini-workshop full of suggestions for how we could offer our students something valuable in lieu of the essay.   The level enthusiasm was high, and the dedication to the WriterCoach Connection program was obvious and infectious. Everyone was ready to rise to the challenge.   Priscilla returned.   The teacher had located some of the papers.  The number of students left in the class had dwindled to a precious few, which meant each of us would coach one or two students and then take them to the computer room to get the essays typed and printed.  We made that happen.

When we finished there was general agreement that it had been a good morning, better than expected. Even better than that, it had been a good summer session.   I felt the enthusiasm generated in our short pre-coaching session had been very positive for us, and had enhanced the work with our students.   The experience certainly made me proud once more of the people who volunteer as coaches and co-coordinators, and made clear the importance of what we bring to the students.

*Disclaimer: I offer here no judgment about the reason for the teacher’s mood on that morning.  It could have been anything from bunions bothering her to ,well, anything on a long list of possibilities.

Summer-school coaching every year is a completely grass-roots effort by WCC volunteers. They see a need and go to work on it, a spirit that Kent embodies and runs throughout our coaching ranks.

Bob Menzimer

 

 

Berkeley school district honors WriterCoach Connection

On Wednesday, April 14, the Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Bill Huyett, board President Karen Hemphill, and the rest of the board recognized WriterCoach Connection for ten years of service in Berkeley schools, in a brief ceremony at the beginning of its regular board meeting. Our longest-tenured Community Alliance for Learning board member, veteran coach, and WCC spokesperson for the evening Lunell Anderson; WCC founding activist Priscilla Myrick; and WCC coach, coach trainer, and the program's new Director or Instruction Jayne Walker joined me in accepting the certificate of recognition on behalf of all the volunteer coaches we are serving, and have served, students not only in Berkeley but also in Albany and Oakland through the years. Click here for a video of the ceremony.

Bob Menzimer

Who better than a teacher to describe the impact of WCC?

Susannah Bell (above left, with WCC Berkeley High Site Coordinator Sahib-Amar Khalsa), an English teacher in the Community Partnerships Academy small school at Berkeley High, offers this moving testimony to what WriterCoach Connection means to her students, and to her:

"The only thing that could make my experience better would be if the WCC happened more often! The WCC sessions have been invaluable for my students' success and motivation in writing. I love how my students get to work with the same coach each session -- this practice helps in the continuity of skill development and provides the students with an adult who cares about them and their progress. The writing coach may be the only person in an individual student's life who gives them an hour of undivided attention; the fact that they are getting this hour from a caring adult but also one who helps them improve in an area they will undoubtedly use in their lives is nothing short of extraordinary. The WCC also impacts my students' lives in ways that cannot be measured. Every single time we have a coaching session, a coach pulls me aside to tell me, "Did you know _________ was dealing with this issue?" Of course, since I see 150 students per day, I cannot always know what is going on in all of my students' lives. But invariably, every time a coaching session ends, I fill out at least one counseling referral to the health center. One young lady was enduring an abusive situation and I did not know. As a result of this, she was engaging in self-destructive behaviors. After I was able to connect her with the appropriate resources to get help (thanks to a coach) she started going to regular counseling. She is like a different person now. She has a calmness about her that has also positively influenced her performance in my class. This is one of many examples of how the WCC not only helps students progress in their writing; it also could save kids' lives."

Susannah really captures the impact our ceaselessly dedicated and highly skilled volunteer coaches have on the students with whom they work. What is unspoken in Susannah's words is how crucial dedicated teachers are to the success of WriterCoach Connection. A significant factor in the effectiveness of WCC is the full support of these talented and hard-working classroom teachers. We're fortunate to have Susannah and her colleagues throughout our three school districts in our corner!

Bob Menzimer