I love being a teacher and working with a diverse group of 9- to 11-year-olds. I teach a combination 4th & 5th grade class and have done so for the last 18 years. This grade level combination allows me the additional time to nurture students who are below grade level yet challenge those who are above the benchmark.
I still enjoy putting the puzzle pieces together to help everyone reach their full potential.
Not only do I love seeing my students become more confident readers, I strive to help them hone their critical thinking and communication skills.
I cannot do this critical work in a vacuum. I try to keep abreast of the best practices in language arts, mathematics, and science. I also try to deepen my understanding of the content matter, especially as it continues to change and evolve in elementary education.
My Project
The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP) at Columbia University is the premier site for professional development for teachers learning how to effectively teach reading and writing in a workshop model. I attended the Reading Summer Institute last summer and the translation into my classroom has been amazing. Many of my students started the year well below grade level in reading. Most are now reading at or above grade level. All of my students are analyzing characters, decoding vocabulary, reading with fluency, and, best of all, loving to read book after book. This summer, I would like to tackle guiding students to become the best writers they can be by attending the Summer Institute for writing.
This collegiate learning experience not only improves my own teaching, but reminds me of what it means to be a student.
The Summer Institute is an intensive week of learning with experienced educators who not only teach the Writers Workshop Model themselves, but include many presenters who actually wrote the teacher guides for this method of teaching. They also include keynote addresses from premier and well-loved writers of children's literature.
In addition to the opportunity to get one-on-one support and advice throughout the week, there are breakout sessions by grade level to actively practice teaching the workshop model as well as sessions that drill even further down into specific techniques. Another benefit is the fact that hundreds of teachers from around the country attend the sessions and provide another rich source of lesson ideas and "must-have" materials.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Kirman and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.