Location: Bellingham, WA
Years of Teaching: 22
If you had to describe yourself as an educator, what six words would you use and why?
Responsive and Accepting- I strive to be present, so I can respond immediately to my students’ needs. I do my best to accept where my students are at any given moment. Sometimes they are ready and eager to learn. Other times they are tired or unable to focus. Either way, I accept them.
Caring and Flexible-I went into teaching because I care about people. I enjoy watching people learn and grow in their understanding about an idea or a skill. Flexibility is a must especially post Co-vid. It allows me to pivot in many directions based on student needs–i.e. teach something unexpected on the fly, provide a scaffold for the task at hand or stay with a given lesson plan.
Passionate and Experienced– I love what I do, and most days that enthusiasm shines through. When my students get inspired by what they read, that just feels good. My years in the field speak for my experience, but that doesn’t mean I have stopped learning how to teach. On the contrary, I am a life long learner modeling to my students how to be life long learners too.
What drew you to Reading Apprenticeship?
Reading Apprenticeship makes sense. The instructional framework takes into account the whole person! Students appreciate, finally, understanding what they are reading by having thought and explored HOW to read.
I was introduced to Reading Apprenticeship over 13 years ago, and I took the Reading Apprenticeship 101 course online recommended by my Vice President of Instruction. I really appreciated the “Think aloud” and Talking to the Text” routines. I tried them out in my classroom right away. I loved sharing how I read the text, uncovering all the invisible reader moves I make, and I remember wishing I had had a teacher who did that when I was in school.
After that, I was asked to go to several Reading Apprenticeship workshops in Oakland, CA. to learn more and to eventually bring back this model to my campus. During the first workshop, I felt heard and respected. I appreciated the collaborative nature of the learning and discovery of the new ways to approach reading. To this day, Reading Apprenticeship is the best professional development out there. My Reading Apprenticeship in the classroom and with the community is essential to my practice.
What is your go-to Reading Apprenticeship routine?
Modeling Think-Aloud
Can you share a story about a time when you or a student had an “aha!” moment with Reading Apprenticeship?
One of my students once commented that she felt she had 16 teachers in the classroom instead of just one. She said this right after everyone was sharing reading strategies for the article at hand. She walked away so pleased and part of a small learning community–the classroom.
If you could describe Reading Apprenticeship in a sentence, what would you say?
Reading Apprenticeship opens up a new world of words and problem solving discussions and opportunities.
What are you reading right now?
I am rereading The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff.
