Language Arts Logic

I have taught preschool, special ed, middle school (6-8), and elementary school (4-5). There are great things about each of those! In my most recent teaching assignment (12 years), 5th grade was seen as a bridge year to middle school, so some of my materials will be on the upper level of difficulty for fifth graders, and may also be appropriate for middle school English.

SCAFFOLDING is very important in teaching, and I enjoy providing that for students. Breaking the task into chunks is a road to clarity! This is especially important in teaching writing. In reading, asking thought questions, previewing vocabulary, comparison of one book or story to another, giving lots of examples of how to analyze, and character traits paired with actions are all examples of scaffolding. For DIFFERENTIATING, which is different from scaffolding, I like to give choices in completing a goal. For example, three prompt choices might be offered for a writing assignment, while the rubric remains the same. Student choice creates more engagement, and allows for individual differences. (The teacher can choose the rubric, allowing for individual differences, while students choose the assignment from a few choices.) ADDING PROJECTS to a basic unit is so interesting for students and can bring the lessons alive, especially in novel studies. It also lends itself to group work. I think ALL TEACHERS do these things! Because I know how hard teaching is, I am honored to be in this profession with you.

Excellence in Teaching Award - St. Martin's Episcopal School

Undergraduate degree in Psychology, Masters in Education

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