What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction - International ...

Clarify Roles and Responsibilities
As the facilitator, your role includes prompting group reflection,
discussion, discovery, and application of findings and insights
gathered from study of What Research Has to Say About Reading
Instruction. Your job is to establish an environment in which all
group members—yourself included!—can learn, reflect, and apply
new knowledge in their own teaching, all to benefit students in
the classroom. You should get to know the range of experience and
background knowledge represented in the group and implement the
session activities as appropriate to meet members’ needs and interests.
It’s also your job to organize the meetings. You’ll need to
• Let people know about the study group and invite participation
(don’t forget to include administrators, paraprofessionals, the
school library media specialist, resource teachers, speech
pathologists, or others on staff who might be interested and who
have an interesting perspective to share)
• Find a meeting location and establish a schedule
• Set up an e-mail notification list or some other means by which
you can disseminate materials and communicate efficiently with
the group between meetings
• Identify group members willing to assist you by taking on roles
such as meeting recorder or facilitator for specific sessions
Of course, group members should recognize their roles and
responsibilities as well. In addition to assisting with recording
and group facilitation, it is essential that all participants agree on
guidelines for how the group will function. This should be a topic of
discussion at your first meeting. Sample guidelines might include
• Completing the readings and extended learning activities prior
to each session
• Seeking to understand as well as to be understood
• Being totally present and engaged
• Being courteous (turn off those cell phones!)
• Supporting one another as members of a community of learners
Capture the agreed norms in writing and circulate them or post a
copy at each meeting.
From the Professional Development Edition of What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction
(3rd ed.), © 2009 International Reading Association.
3