Dr. Amy Dellapenna
I believe that one of the most important skills for effective teaching and learning is the ability to self-reflect. In my work as a Literacy Coordinator and Instructional Coach for the McKeesport Area School District, I support teachers in their professional learning and use coaching as an opportunity to foster reflective practice.
My first experiences with reflection as a teacher were during student teaching. I kept a reflection journal and spent time each evening reflecting on lessons I had taught. I began to see the power of reflection early on as I learned from my experiences and used my reflections and insights to plan more effective lessons. My supervising professor during those student teaching experiences noted that one of my strengths was the ability to notice while in the middle of a lesson that I needed to adjust my instruction right in the moment and not being afraid to do so. Once I began teaching in my own
classroom, I continued to hone my reflection skills and would often seek out mentors and other teachers to collaborate with to improve my instruction and the academic achievement of my students.
When I began teaching fifth grade, I realized that many of my students were struggling with basic
reading skills and as a newer teacher I felt unprepared with how to meet their literacy needs. This led me to pursue a masters' degree as a reading specialist. During that experience I started to share my new learning with other teachers in the school and I began a professional learning community
focused on improving literacy. School administrators took notice and asked me to transfer to a new position at a different school to lead literacy improvement efforts there.
Over the years and through my doctoral coursework, I have continued to work on my self-reflection skills as well as work to foster self-reflection in teachers I work with in our district. My dissertation work focused on peer coaching and involved teachers in a focused cycle of reflection. I found that peer coaching fosters a deep sense of reflection that helps to connect teacher actions with student learning.
There have been so many people who have impacted my own professional learning throughout my career. Two that come to mind easily are Dr. Catherine Lobaugh and Dr. Deborah Scigliano. I worked with Dr. Lobaugh in my district for many years. She was instrumental in supporting the work
of instructional coaching in our district and she always supported my efforts in advocating for the professional learning needs of our teachers. Dr. Scigliano was my dissertation committee chair and she was the one who first introduced me to the work of Learning Forward. Her vast knowledge of
peer coaching and teacher self-efficacy have been invaluable in my work to support teachers’ professional learning and growth.
My first experiences with reflection as a teacher were during student teaching. I kept a reflection journal and spent time each evening reflecting on lessons I had taught. I began to see the power of reflection early on as I learned from my experiences and used my reflections and insights to plan more effective lessons. My supervising professor during those student teaching experiences noted that one of my strengths was the ability to notice while in the middle of a lesson that I needed to adjust my instruction right in the moment and not being afraid to do so. Once I began teaching in my own
classroom, I continued to hone my reflection skills and would often seek out mentors and other teachers to collaborate with to improve my instruction and the academic achievement of my students.
When I began teaching fifth grade, I realized that many of my students were struggling with basic
reading skills and as a newer teacher I felt unprepared with how to meet their literacy needs. This led me to pursue a masters' degree as a reading specialist. During that experience I started to share my new learning with other teachers in the school and I began a professional learning community
focused on improving literacy. School administrators took notice and asked me to transfer to a new position at a different school to lead literacy improvement efforts there.
Over the years and through my doctoral coursework, I have continued to work on my self-reflection skills as well as work to foster self-reflection in teachers I work with in our district. My dissertation work focused on peer coaching and involved teachers in a focused cycle of reflection. I found that peer coaching fosters a deep sense of reflection that helps to connect teacher actions with student learning.
There have been so many people who have impacted my own professional learning throughout my career. Two that come to mind easily are Dr. Catherine Lobaugh and Dr. Deborah Scigliano. I worked with Dr. Lobaugh in my district for many years. She was instrumental in supporting the work
of instructional coaching in our district and she always supported my efforts in advocating for the professional learning needs of our teachers. Dr. Scigliano was my dissertation committee chair and she was the one who first introduced me to the work of Learning Forward. Her vast knowledge of
peer coaching and teacher self-efficacy have been invaluable in my work to support teachers’ professional learning and growth.