My role as Washington School’s Academic Interventionist/Reading Specialist unites my passions and strengths as an educator and lifelong learner. Witnessing a student grow as a reader is truly amazing and I feel blessed to play a role in this process through my teaching in Rocket Readers, our district reading intervention program, as well as my collaboration with my colleagues.
My role as Washington School’s Academic Interventionist/Reading Specialist unites my passions and strengths as an educator and lifelong learner. Witnessing a student grow as a reader is truly amazing and I feel blessed to play a role in this process through my teaching in Rocket Readers, our district reading intervention program, as well as my collaboration with my colleagues.
My passion for literacy instruction and research has shaped the direction of my own education and professional development. I hold five NJ certifications including reading specialist, special education teacher, and elementary teacher. I received my Master of Arts in Reading from Montclair State University and my Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Caldwell University after completing my undergraduate education at the College of Saint Elizabeth (now Saint Elizabeth University), where I graduated with highest honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (with a concentration in special education) and second major in Art.
My passion for literacy instruction and research has shaped the direction of my own education and professional development. I hold five NJ certifications including reading specialist, special education teacher, and elementary teacher. I received my Master of Arts in Reading from Montclair State University and my Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Caldwell University after completing my undergraduate education at the College of Saint Elizabeth (now Saint Elizabeth University), where I graduated with highest honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education (with a concentration in special education) and second major in Art.
In 2008 my research regarding the use of instructional rubrics as a tool to support writers earned the Joseph Bruner Research Award for excellence in literacy research. In 2017, I co-published a chapter titled Considering Non-cognitive Factors in the Preparation and Selection of Educators in the book Non-cognitive Skills and Factors in Educational Attainment based on research I completed at Caldwell University. During my tenure as a teacher in the Caldwell-West Caldwell School District I have furthered my professional growth through completing a variety of workshops and trainings. I have extensive training in variety of multi-sensory reading programs and approaches including: Phonics First Levels I & II, FUNdations, The Institute for Multi-sensory Education, The Sonday System, and Wilson Reading.
In 2008 my research regarding the use of instructional rubrics as a tool to support writers earned the Joseph Bruner Research Award for excellence in literacy research. In 2017, I co-published a chapter titled Considering Non-cognitive Factors in the Preparation and Selection of Educators in the book Non-cognitive Skills and Factors in Educational Attainment based on research I completed at Caldwell University. During my tenure as a teacher in the Caldwell-West Caldwell School District I have furthered my professional growth through completing a variety of workshops and trainings. I have extensive training in variety of multi-sensory reading programs and approaches including: Phonics First Levels I & II, FUNdations, The Institute for Multi-sensory Education, The Sonday System, and Wilson Reading.
In October of 2008 I proudly represented the Caldwell-West Caldwell school district as one of 160 educators from across the nation selected to participate in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) Teacher Program. I spent three weeks in Japan attending professional workshops, visiting schools and a teacher's college, attending cultural performances, and visiting historical sites. I was very excited about the learning opportunities my participation provided for my students and the Caldwell-West Caldwell community.
In October of 2008 I proudly represented the Caldwell-West Caldwell school district as one of 160 educators from across the nation selected to participate in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) Teacher Program. I spent three weeks in Japan attending professional workshops, visiting schools and a teacher's college, attending cultural performances, and visiting historical sites. I was very excited about the learning opportunities my participation provided for my students and the Caldwell-West Caldwell community.
My greatest gifts in life are my two young daughters and husband and I cherish the time we spend together and the memories made in the process. Reading with my daughters each night before bed and the conversations we have in the process is my favorite part of our daily life. I have always loved the visual arts, which today I most often realize through the photographs I capture of my family, our adventures, the small details of of every day life and landscapes. When life allows, I also enjoy reading, sketching, genealogy, shopping, visiting museums, and traveling. I have vacationed in Ireland, Italy, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, California, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D. C., Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Our family has a particular love for our country’s national parks as well as the New Jersey shore. The beach is a frequent theme in my photography and one of my favorite places to sketch and take pictures of my family.
My greatest gifts in life are my two young daughters and husband and I cherish the time we spend together and the memories made in the process. Reading with my daughters each night before bed and the conversations we have in the process is my favorite part of our daily life. I have always loved the visual arts, which today I most often realize through the photographs I capture of my family, our adventures, the small details of of every day life and landscapes. When life allows, I also enjoy reading, sketching, genealogy, shopping, visiting museums, and traveling. I have vacationed in Ireland, Italy, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, California, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D. C., Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Our family has a particular love for our country’s national parks as well as the New Jersey shore. The beach is a frequent theme in my photography and one of my favorite places to sketch and take pictures of my family.