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About the Author Feil Home Learn More Inspiration About the Author |
About the Author
My name is Emily Feil. I have spent my entire teaching career helping struggling readers. I started at Vallejo High School, where my students who were reading 4-6 years below grade level needed help to pass the CAHSEE. My teaching partner and I designed a standards-based intervention course and saw tremendous growth. Our students had spent at least ten years being frustrated and angry in school as they fell further and further behind. In the space of a single year, many of them made two or three years' growth. More importantly, they felt academic success for the first time in their lives.
When my own children started school, I volunteered in their elementary classrooms. I realized that if my high school students had high quality intervention early on, they might not have spent ten years being frustrated at a system that let them down. I earned a Multiple Subject credential and spent several years teaching Intervention at the elementary school.
My journey took me through a year as a kindergarten teacher, where learned a great deal about the whole spectrum of literacy development. Children arrive at school with vastly differing levels of experience with language and print. It is no wonder that some of them learn to read as naturally as they learned to speak, while others must work to catch up, even from day one. These days I am living the best of both worlds. My official title is "Intervention Teacher," but I get to spend half of my day supporting reading groups in kindergarten. My goal is to close any gaps students arrive with as quickly as possible so that these kindergarteners don't end up in my intervention groups in the years ahead. That's why I'm so passionate about creating equitable policies for all families to make choices about when to begin kindergarten.
When my own children started school, I volunteered in their elementary classrooms. I realized that if my high school students had high quality intervention early on, they might not have spent ten years being frustrated at a system that let them down. I earned a Multiple Subject credential and spent several years teaching Intervention at the elementary school.
My journey took me through a year as a kindergarten teacher, where learned a great deal about the whole spectrum of literacy development. Children arrive at school with vastly differing levels of experience with language and print. It is no wonder that some of them learn to read as naturally as they learned to speak, while others must work to catch up, even from day one. These days I am living the best of both worlds. My official title is "Intervention Teacher," but I get to spend half of my day supporting reading groups in kindergarten. My goal is to close any gaps students arrive with as quickly as possible so that these kindergarteners don't end up in my intervention groups in the years ahead. That's why I'm so passionate about creating equitable policies for all families to make choices about when to begin kindergarten.
Reflections on My Journey
As I created this project, I struggled to fit the information I wanted to share into the typical capstone format. Since I was not designing a new instructional strategy or using a fantastic tool in a new way, I had to be creative as I thought about the elements of this project. Along the way, I considered scrapping the whole idea.
But I kept coming back to what brought me to Touro in the first place: TU is committed to equity and closing the achievement gap. I thought about students like D and M, and I was more determined than before to ensure that children who come after them will not be denied the right to a solid start to their education. Where policies are inequitable or non-existent, I want to be part of the solution that gives all families equal opportunities to make the choices that are best for their children.
Surely these students are worth the effort it took to fit my square peg into this round hole.
But I kept coming back to what brought me to Touro in the first place: TU is committed to equity and closing the achievement gap. I thought about students like D and M, and I was more determined than before to ensure that children who come after them will not be denied the right to a solid start to their education. Where policies are inequitable or non-existent, I want to be part of the solution that gives all families equal opportunities to make the choices that are best for their children.
Surely these students are worth the effort it took to fit my square peg into this round hole.
Lasting Learning from the Innovative Learning program
The Innovative Learning Program has taught me that I can do more than I imagined I could. Had I known at the outset how technology laden this program would be, I probably would not have chosen it. But along the way, I've picked up some valuable tech skills and even become a leader among my colleagues in that arena. To read more about my growth in the technology arena, visit my TPACK page.
This program has really stretched my growth mindset. I am so thankful to my cohort for their encouragement along the way.
This program has really stretched my growth mindset. I am so thankful to my cohort for their encouragement along the way.
http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/scene_and_screen/little-engine-that-could/article_2a1be060-4977-11df-aa22-001cc4c03286.html