Instructional Philosophy

My focus is on building confident readers and writers who display agency, independence and can take on any reading or writing task with confidence, no matter the genre. Literacy is our connection to others and largely how we make our way through life. With me, you will live a life rich in literacy.

1. Students need a comprehensive approach to English, one that includes a responsive approach to the teaching of both reading and writing. Researchers have studied examples of exemplary literacy instruction. In every case, when they found a classroom with high literacy engagement, they found this kind of comprehensive teaching in place.

2. Reading and writing need to be taught like other basic skills, with direct, explicit instruction— including conventions, and the skills and strategies of proficient reading and writing. Independent, paired and larger collaborative experiences follow, solidify these skills. 

3. Readers need long stretches of time to read, and writers need extended opportunities to write.

4. Writers need to learn to use writing process: rehearsing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their writing. Readers need opportunities to consolidate skills so they can use skills and strategies with automaticity within fluid, engaged reading.

5. Writers deserve to write for real, to write the kinds of texts that they see in the world, and to write to put meaning onto the page. Authentic audiences are key. Readers need opportunities to read high-interest, accessible books of their own choosing. The parent and student decide if the maturity of the material in chosen books are appropriate for the student. 

6. Readers and writers need teachers to read aloud to them in addition to reading independently.

7. Students need opportunities to talk and write in response to texts.

8. Readers need to read increasingly complex texts appropriate for their grade level and they need support reading nonfiction and building a knowledge base and academic vocabulary through information reading.

9.Learners need clear goals and frequent feedback tailored specifically to them. They need to hear ways their reading and writing is getting better and to know what their next steps might be.

10. Readers and writers need a psychologically safe environment in which they learn to try different strategies to have a healthy amount of struggle or resistance with support to practice RESILIENCE and reach their full potential.  

(adapted from TCRWP)