As a Learning Specialist, my job is to monitor and support learning in early childhood through fifth-grade classes. This is the place of my ultimate joy and satisfaction - seeing children grow, witnessing their struggles, and their hard-fought accomplishments. The daily struggles seem like small roadblocks to adults, but to children, struggles loom large. And if you have a learning difference, struggles can seem overwhelming. We do all in our power to motivate and encourage the young minds in our charge. Sometimes these efforts work right away, sometimes it takes a long time to see the fruits of our labor.
Tag: teaching
Put Learning in Their Hands
I’m at a point in my life when I look back and reflect on my decisions, I think about all the steps (and missteps) I’ve made that brought me this far. The one thing that stands out for me is how working with my hands has been a major theme throughout my childhood, teenage years, and all the decades of my adult life.
What Makes You Happy?
I know I must start every day with gratitude, blessed to work in a place with such lively spirits. So many times, it is the children who have shown me the way to happiness. So many times, their fresh way of seeing things has given me pause and made me laugh.
Working in the Wonder Studio: Finding Our Dreams & Voices
This month, the 4th graders have taken over the studio. Some of them are painting on small canvases, some are making spring wreaths, some are learning to sew pillows, and a few of them are exploring how to turn boxes and tubes into working machines.
How I’d Like to be Remembered
As I grow older, I often think about how I want to be remembered: for the art I make, for the poems I write, for the work I’ve done for over four decades. Yes, all of that. But this past weekend I was reminded about what is most important to me.
Room to Read
I love having the opportunity to read and write with children and figure out why they are having trouble. I calm my monkey mind and I focus in on the student reader.
Write What You Notice
I recently attended a teacher's workshop presented by Penny Kittle at Rutgers University sponsored by Rutgers Center for Literacy Development. I've seen Penny many times. Usually, she talks to teachers about creating reading and writing workshop spaces in high school classes. Penny was a high school English teacher in New Hampshire and her mentor was … Continue reading Write What You Notice
Being Present to Joy
My colleagues worry about not having time enough to teach. They have so much content they need and want to cover. As a curriculum coordinator, I create tons of documents - benchmarks, scope & sequences, lists of standards by grade level to make sure we don't miss teaching one single skill or strategy. This is … Continue reading Being Present to Joy
Seeing Possibility
This post centers around seeing students' possibilities instead of their deficits. When teachers and parents can do that, a student's motivation increases and they are able to become more successful, seeing themselves in a strong and positive light.
Mindful Assessment: Breathe, Lean in, & Listen
Fall is here, and for me September and October mean it’s time for ELA assessments. The teachers, specialists, and I gear up to assess the reading, phonics, spelling, and writing skills of students to help support their learning throughout the year. It is an intensive rush to provide the best instruction possible. This year, as … Continue reading Mindful Assessment: Breathe, Lean in, & Listen
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 