Mr. Genson
Reading - ELD - Boys/Girls Basketball
Hello! My name is Todd Genson and I have been a Wellington Eagle since 2002. I teach Reading and ELD classes and coach both boys and girls basketball (which we will hopefully get to play in the spring).
As you can see, I have lived and worked all over the country and have seen a lot of what it has to offer - though I can't imagine being anywhere else now! I got my Bachelor's degree (English Education) from Michigan State University (Go Green!) in 1997 and earned my Master's degree (Linguistically Diverse Education) from CU in 2010. I also have sent my three kids (19, 16, 11) through PSD schools.
Even though this is a strange beginning for a school year, I am excited to get started and look forward to working with every one of my students.
(Fun fact: I was also once named K99 Teacher of the Week, which was pretty cool!)
WHAT IS READING CLASS LIKE AT WMS?
This class is designed to support Wellington students who are not meeting grade-level reading standards.
We identify these students based on their assessment history (MAPS, CMAS, DIBELS, etc.) and then use the Read 180 curriculum from HMH to try and get them up-to-speed ASAP. The class work is evenly divided between three parts:
small-group instruction with the teacher
guided fluency and comprehension practice with an online app
independent reading and reflection
Kids get out of this program what they put in! If you work hard on all three parts of the program (especially the time spent reading on your own), you WILL see results.
And as soon as a student demonstrates grade-level reading proficiency, they are moved out of the class and into another elective - so working hard will DEFINITELY pay off!
WHAT IS ELD CLASS LIKE AT WMS?
This is NOT a separate class, so there are no grades, assignments, or attendance (yay!). We identify all of our students who speak another language besides English and support their learning through co-teaching, helping other teachers, grade checks, working with students one-on-one, etc. Our goal is to help them strengthen their English literacy skills so they will continue to be successful students.
If you have questions about this program, please contact Mr. Genson or our awesome family liaison, Aida Rodriguez.