The foundation for literacy begins in kindergarten, but throughout their time in the Massapequa School District, students continue to build on their skills to become stronger readers, writers and researchers. Secondary literacy coach Laura Bottan supports the more than 60 teachers at Massapequa High School’s main and Ames campuses and Berner Middle School who guide students on this continuing journey.
Ms. Bottan provides a wide range of support for general education teachers, special education teachers, reading specialists and library media specialists. She visits classrooms to do co-teaching when new initiatives are unveiled or does informal observations to give feedback. Behind the scenes, she has one-on-one and small-group meetings with teachers to review lesson plans or go over student data. Ms. Bottan will talk to teachers about areas of strengths and areas where improvement is needed for their students and develop an action plan to get measurable results.
Last year, the district adopted the College Board curriculum in pre-Advanced Placement ninth grade English courses, and this year expanded it to 10th grade. The coursework is more intense and quicker paced, with students conducting a deeper analysis of texts. Ms. Bottan worked closely with teachers to implement this new curriculum and ensure students were supported in the more rigorous environment.
She also helps teachers implement the Socratic seminar-style of teaching in their classrooms, which are designed to foster more discussion and higher-level thinking. Ms. Bottan reads lots of books to make recommendations that could be used to support the secondary English curriculum.
“Collaboration is the most important aspect of my role,” Ms. Bottan said. “Seeing teachers working together and getting excited about new instructional strategies and techniques is the best feeling for me.”
Ms. Bottan hosts professional development sessions for the English department at the three schools, developing presentations in either Canva or Google Slides. She helps bridge the gap between buildings to support the vertical alignment of the English curriculum. This year, she is also working with six nontenured teachers in the department to support their growth.
Networking is another important aspect of her role. Ms. Bottan attends workshops hosted by the Long Island Language Arts Council, as well as coaching collaboratives at other schools. She also has been a presenter at conferences along with Massapequa English teachers that have been exemplars using new and innovative strategies.
Ms. Bottan works closely with Tina Farrell, the district’s curriculum associate for ELA and library media. They frequently meet to discuss daily and long-term objectives. Some of the “big picture” projects that Ms. Bottan oversees include seventh and eighth grade literacy workshop classes, a revamping of the broadcasting program and collaboration with the math department to align i-Ready diagnostic math and literacy goals.
Ms. Bottan, who taught English for 12 years in the district before moving into the instructional coach role in 2022, still keeps her connection with students. She and Ms. Farrell meet with all AP Research students to discuss their topics and guide them on their path to thoughtful and meaningful research. Ms. Bottan will also serve as a direct mentor for some AP Research students.
Ms. Farrell noted that a learning coach is a vital part of any instructional program. All resources used by the district are based on improving student achievement, which aligns with the philosophy of coaching.
“The whole idea of a coach is to enhance student performance,” Ms. Farrell said. “When a coach is working with a teacher, it’s always about what is best for students.”