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Home Learn More Inspiration About the Author
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Background
I have been in the field of education for over twenty years. I began my career as a special education aide while obtaining my teaching degree in Michigan, and spent the first fifteen years teaching in the classroom in special education. I have taught in various capacities, from an elementary resource specialist to a special day class teacher, before transitioning to general education four years ago. I am currently teaching 2nd grade, which is my absolute favorite because of the foundational work in helping students become more fluent readers as well as independent learners.
Teaching Philosophy
My philosophy of education is simple: all students can learn, regardless of their current skill set, home life circumstances and behavioral needs. Having taught students who are often marginalized in education, I firmly believe that when students are provided with the right space and opportunities, they will succeed. When an outcome is not achieved, it is crucial to analyze and reflect on the current methods, strategies and tools to determine the necessary action steps to reorganize and reattempt a learning objective until proficiency is attained.
Multisensory Instruction
When working in the public education system, you are responsible for the curriculum mandated by the school district. Having worked in special education and received extensive training on the Science of Reading, I have firsthand experience with the effectiveness of multisensory and systematic teaching. Reading Curriculum, in particular, may not always follow a systematic and explicit approach to teaching foundational skills. Educators may not have a clear scope and sequence to follow, where different skills build upon one another, and students do not progress to the next skill unless they reach a level of proficiency. My ultimate goal in my action research is to ensure that the reading curriculum used by my district is properly supplemented, providing students with multiple opportunities to engage in exercises and activities based on the Science of Reading. This approach can better support student progress and achievement within the core curriculum.
I have been in the field of education for over twenty years. I began my career as a special education aide while obtaining my teaching degree in Michigan, and spent the first fifteen years teaching in the classroom in special education. I have taught in various capacities, from an elementary resource specialist to a special day class teacher, before transitioning to general education four years ago. I am currently teaching 2nd grade, which is my absolute favorite because of the foundational work in helping students become more fluent readers as well as independent learners.
Teaching Philosophy
My philosophy of education is simple: all students can learn, regardless of their current skill set, home life circumstances and behavioral needs. Having taught students who are often marginalized in education, I firmly believe that when students are provided with the right space and opportunities, they will succeed. When an outcome is not achieved, it is crucial to analyze and reflect on the current methods, strategies and tools to determine the necessary action steps to reorganize and reattempt a learning objective until proficiency is attained.
Multisensory Instruction
When working in the public education system, you are responsible for the curriculum mandated by the school district. Having worked in special education and received extensive training on the Science of Reading, I have firsthand experience with the effectiveness of multisensory and systematic teaching. Reading Curriculum, in particular, may not always follow a systematic and explicit approach to teaching foundational skills. Educators may not have a clear scope and sequence to follow, where different skills build upon one another, and students do not progress to the next skill unless they reach a level of proficiency. My ultimate goal in my action research is to ensure that the reading curriculum used by my district is properly supplemented, providing students with multiple opportunities to engage in exercises and activities based on the Science of Reading. This approach can better support student progress and achievement within the core curriculum.
Reflections on your Journey
Teaching reading is my sweet spot. I struggled with reading as a young student and vividly remember the confusion and frustrations that were never fully addressed. Studying pedagogy and methodology in college allowed me to better understand the brain and how new concepts and skills can be taught to accommodate different learning styles. Starting my teaching career in special education in the Midwest provided me with multiple experiences and training in the Science of Reading. This invaluable knowledge made me realize that I could have become a fluent reader sooner if certain approaches and practices had been implemented.
Moving to California over fifteen years ago, I quickly realized that many districts were not familiar with the Science of Reading, such as the Orton-Gillingham method, which teaches students how to sound out words. I was disappointed, especially knowing that I had to use the district curriculum to teach foundational reading skills. Thankfully, all of the districts I worked for did believe in small reading groups, giving me the opportunity to deliver explicit, systematic, and targeted reading instruction. Time and time again, administrators approached me, asking how I was able to help my students progress so much. I even purchased a supplemental curriculum, The Logic of English, and started using it with my older students. Again, both administrators and parents were in awe of how much growth the students made in a short amount of time. I continue to give them the same answer: Orton-Gillingham works. On this journey, I have definitely made my share of mistakes through trial and error, as there is no single approach that works for all students. There were times when I would create and implement a new reading routine or use a specific activity consistently with no results. Rather than becoming complacent and hoping students would somehow make progress, I went back to the drawing board and investigated what I could do next. What has truly supported me throughout this teaching journey is reflection. I continue to write down in my planner daily what worked well and what didn't, forcing me to provide myself with critical feedback. This was difficult at first, but it pushes me to grow and expand my knowledge to ensure I am supporting all of my students.
When my current district asked who would like to pilot the new reading curriculum, Open Court, I jumped at the chance. Although the curriculum has many Science of Reading components (which is amazing), I was devoted to studying the curriculum from start to finish, ensuring students are given ample opportunities to use research-based, research-validated activities, exercises and strategies to support reading development. This is what led me to my action research topic.
Moving to California over fifteen years ago, I quickly realized that many districts were not familiar with the Science of Reading, such as the Orton-Gillingham method, which teaches students how to sound out words. I was disappointed, especially knowing that I had to use the district curriculum to teach foundational reading skills. Thankfully, all of the districts I worked for did believe in small reading groups, giving me the opportunity to deliver explicit, systematic, and targeted reading instruction. Time and time again, administrators approached me, asking how I was able to help my students progress so much. I even purchased a supplemental curriculum, The Logic of English, and started using it with my older students. Again, both administrators and parents were in awe of how much growth the students made in a short amount of time. I continue to give them the same answer: Orton-Gillingham works. On this journey, I have definitely made my share of mistakes through trial and error, as there is no single approach that works for all students. There were times when I would create and implement a new reading routine or use a specific activity consistently with no results. Rather than becoming complacent and hoping students would somehow make progress, I went back to the drawing board and investigated what I could do next. What has truly supported me throughout this teaching journey is reflection. I continue to write down in my planner daily what worked well and what didn't, forcing me to provide myself with critical feedback. This was difficult at first, but it pushes me to grow and expand my knowledge to ensure I am supporting all of my students.
When my current district asked who would like to pilot the new reading curriculum, Open Court, I jumped at the chance. Although the curriculum has many Science of Reading components (which is amazing), I was devoted to studying the curriculum from start to finish, ensuring students are given ample opportunities to use research-based, research-validated activities, exercises and strategies to support reading development. This is what led me to my action research topic.
Lasting Learning from the Innovative Learning program
Teaching during the pandemic brought many challenges, but it also presented a clear silver lining for me. Like the majority of teachers, I had to learn and utilize a number of online learning platforms and tools to deliver explicit and targeted instruction, monitor student progress, and communicate with families, all while keeping students highly engaged. After returning to the classroom, I continued to implement many of these platforms and tools, which significantly enhanced my teaching practices. Recognizing the transformative impact of innovation on student performance, I wanted to pursue further exploration in this area, leading me to the Innovative Learning Masters program at Touro University.
I have always had a desire to mentor other teachers in reading instruction but was unsure how to do so without offering unsolicited advice. When my cohort was tasked with identifying a significant problem to address, one that would ideally inform our action research topic, I knew immediately that I wanted to focus on the new reading curriculum I had been selected to adopt. The adoption team consisted of representatives from different grade levels, one grade level team from each site in the district. My 2nd grade team represented our grade level, and we understood we would be the voice of the program.
We thoroughly explored the program, implementing the lessons with fidelity to the best of our ability. We took notes on what we liked, what we thought could be improved, and recorded any questions. We analyzed the scope and sequence, story selection, and practice activities, monitoring student progress along the way. We examined pre- and post-data, experimented with different assessment formats, and created documents filled with tips, possible schedules, and teaching aids. We even hosted all the 2nd grade teachers so they could observe us teaching a lesson with our students, giving them a better perspective of how the curriculum flows throughout the day.
It was a lot of work, and I am incredibly proud of my 2nd grade team, but I knew something was missing: additional research. The Innovative Learning program has allowed me to compile everything I have done this past school year with implementing the curriculum pilot and has provided me with a fantastic opportunity to determine if students are making adequate progress or if they need something extra to push the needle further. I am so grateful I was able to take my knowledge of the Science of Reading, and implement activities that would hopefully compliment the curriculum and produce even greater student achievement and progress.
I have always had a desire to mentor other teachers in reading instruction but was unsure how to do so without offering unsolicited advice. When my cohort was tasked with identifying a significant problem to address, one that would ideally inform our action research topic, I knew immediately that I wanted to focus on the new reading curriculum I had been selected to adopt. The adoption team consisted of representatives from different grade levels, one grade level team from each site in the district. My 2nd grade team represented our grade level, and we understood we would be the voice of the program.
We thoroughly explored the program, implementing the lessons with fidelity to the best of our ability. We took notes on what we liked, what we thought could be improved, and recorded any questions. We analyzed the scope and sequence, story selection, and practice activities, monitoring student progress along the way. We examined pre- and post-data, experimented with different assessment formats, and created documents filled with tips, possible schedules, and teaching aids. We even hosted all the 2nd grade teachers so they could observe us teaching a lesson with our students, giving them a better perspective of how the curriculum flows throughout the day.
It was a lot of work, and I am incredibly proud of my 2nd grade team, but I knew something was missing: additional research. The Innovative Learning program has allowed me to compile everything I have done this past school year with implementing the curriculum pilot and has provided me with a fantastic opportunity to determine if students are making adequate progress or if they need something extra to push the needle further. I am so grateful I was able to take my knowledge of the Science of Reading, and implement activities that would hopefully compliment the curriculum and produce even greater student achievement and progress.