Blog #4: Voices from the Field

Mark: Education as my Second Career

In Mark's vignette, it is very clear that his leadership role is very important! He is not exactly a teacher or an administrator, but he does take on leadership responsibilities (Bean, 2015, p. 51). As a reading specialist, Mark has many different roles. He is responsible for meeting and collaborating with teachers, working with struggling students in small-groups, collecting and analyzing data, and coaching teachers. Mark is constantly communicating with teachers and staff members. He works alongside with the classroom teachers and students (Bean, 2015, p. 50-53). Together, decisions are made "about the implications for instruction and grouping" (Bean, 2015, p.53).  It is very clear that reading specialists have many responsibilities in a school. As a reading specialist, how does one use their time effectively to be able to fit in all the roles?