Reading for Intermediate and Advanced Learners, Fall, 2011

Hi everyone! My name is Heather Johnson and I am currently teaching 1st grade at Oakwood Elementary in Hickory. This is my second year teaching 1st grade. My ultimate goal each year is to be a positive influence for my students and to help them achieve as much as they can academically. I enjoy younger students so much that I believe I will always be an elementary school teacher. I would, however, love to continue my education and one day teach college courses in the summers or at nights. I am very excited about this course! I am most excited about the book club! I just purchased "Thirteen Reasons Why" on my nook and am going to start reading right NOW! Throughout this course I am hoping to learn instructional techniques and ways to make my reading and writing instruction better in my classroom. See everyone in two weeks! :) Have a great first day of school!

I feel the class is going to be interesting. I think I am going to enjoy the book club. I look forward to group discussions.

My name is Tonya Isenhour. I teach Physical Education in Lincoln county at a K-2 school. I feel that the class is going to be interesting. I am excited about the book club. I look forward to group discussions.

Hello classmates. This is my fifteenth year teaching kindergarten in Caldwell County. I am excited about the upcoming school year. I love being a classroom teacher and I am very passionate about reading. My goal is to make my students life long readers. When I finish this program I hope to be able to focus on reading instruction in some capacity.
I enjoy spending time with my husband and two teenage daughters. We like to spend our summers at the beach. My oldest daughter began college this year so things are very different around our house right now.
Since I work with young children I am excited about this course in adolescent literature. I am interested in best instructional practices for adolescent students.
The first class was engaging. I enjoyed the discussions and the introduction of some of the literature. I am looking forward to the Book Club discussions. The book I chose caught my attention quickly.

Hello! I currently teach fourth and fifth graders at the American Renaissance Charter School in downtown Statesville. I love to read and watch football, baseball, and soccer. Derek Jeter is my boyfriend. JUST KIDDING! I must confess that I am a little intimidated about writing - but I'm gearing up for the challenge!

Hello! My name is Lena Sprinkle and I am an EC teacher at West Alexander Middle School. Middle Schoolers, adolescents, are some of the most interesting people I have ever met! There is no other way to put it. This is also my second year teaching and although I feel more comfortable than last year, I know there will always things to learn. I teach both Language Arts and Math. My goal for my students is for them to make some type of personal growth in the subject I am teaching. I feel our first meeting of class went smoothly and I very much am looking forward to the book club. I thought all of the books sounded like good reads and may be some great future reading material. I also look forward to the discussions on strategies to use in the classroom and hope to find ways to get middle school readers more involved.

My name is Debra Hadley, and I teach high school at West Caldwell in Lenoir, N.C. West is a poor, rural school. That can be a bad combination in many ways, but we have sort of risen above it. We irritate the two wealthier traditional high schools in the county by refusing to take our place at the bottom of test score lists or scholarship awards. We have an experienced faculty who work really hard to get our kids performing to meet ever increasing standards
I am an English major by training and was hired to teach English at my high school. But I also had worked as a newspaper reporter and editor. My last assignment at the paper was as Lifestyles Editor. I took an additional certification in Family and Consumer Science and taught some of both for a while. Three years ago, my principal asked if I would transfer downstairs to a full time FACS job, so we wouldn’t have to lay off and English teacher. I went, so now I teach Home Ec full time. I specialize in Foods 2 (sanitation and commercial food preparation) and Apparel (sewing).

As a high school teacher, I’ve plowed through a frightening amount of almost completely new material on beginning readers. This class is the first one that is directly aimed at my population. I was pleased that we are going to spend a fair amount of time reading young adult novels. I find these novels compelling, and I firmly believe they should be taught in high schools. Belief is one thing, and it’s easy. Changing practice is an entirely different matter.
Shifting the English curriculum to quality young adult novels is a task that will be exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. Textbook publishers, college professors and legions of English teachers are firmly in the camp that is all about teaching the canon. There are people who are invested in the English classroom just as it is, and generally these are the people who are in charge of what gets taught.

I appreciate the idea of providing students with high-interest texts, but I also know how school works in the real world. Sometimes we have to ask them to read texts that are not that high interest. I have found students resist reading textbooks or use them in superficial ways (like surfing the headings or doing ping-pong reading).
What I’d like is some real workable strategies for helping me to help kids to be more successful in reading within the discipline.

My name is Amanda Solesbee. I am a 5th grade reading teacher at Snow Creek Elementary. I love teaching, and I am currently going into my 4th year of teaching. I plan to pursue my doctorate next Fall. I am looking forward to our class discussions and our blog discussions. The book club is something that I have done in my own class and have had great success with it. My kids love it! I also have my students do book talks and they really look forward to that time.

Hi, everyone. My name is Holly Lawson, and I am currently a 3rd grade teacher at Pinnacle Elementary in Rutherford County. I am looking forward to a great and exciting year as I recently transitioned from teaching fourth grade for eleven years. During this course, I look forward to exploring more YA books. As everyone else, I am especially excited about the book clubs.

Hi, my name is Tara Triplett. I am a fifth grde teacher at Longview Elementary in Hickory. This is the first course I have taken in the Reading Masters program and was a bit overwhelmed with everything. I am looking forward to our book talks and getting to know many of you on this new adventure.

Hello everyone! My name is Lisa Beach and I am currently a substitute teacher for Burke County Public Schools. I am looking forward to our book clubs and discussions. I love to hear other perspectives of the text because I find amazing that two people can have two totally different interpretations of the text! As an educator, my goal is to help each student reach his/her fullest potential and teach them the necessities they need to prosper in society. Although I am not an avid reader (I only read when I am assigned to), I know how important it is to get our students interested in reading. In one of my previous courses, a fellow classmate told me that during her read aloud time she would only read one chapter or selection out of the text, in hopes of capturing the children's interest for the book. If she gained their interest for this book during read aloud, it was more likely that the student would be motivated to read the book on their own, in order to find out what happened in the book. I imagine this works really well because from the snippets that Dr. Moorman read in class, I wrote down three books that I intend to read during Christmas break! I look forward to getting to know each of you, and hopefully learn a few more "tricks of the trade." :)

Hi everyone. My name is Lisa Boyd and I am a new teacher at Grover Elementary in Grover, NC. I worked at Grover as a teacher assistant for 8 years and then decided to go back to school at night to get my undergrad in elementary education. I was hired last year as a Title I Reading Teacher. I'm the only certified teacher and have six TA's that work in the lab with me. We became a school-wide Title I school this year and serve eligible students in grades 1st - 4th. Last year we served around 103 students. Our school population is about 70% free and reduced lunch.

I believe I will love the book club and discussions and look forward to this class. I have A.D.D so please bare with me.

I am married and have three teenage boys of which two are twins that just graduated HS. My 19 1/2 son, Justin is a junior at ASU and Jacob, 18 will start ASU in January. His twin brother, Jared started UNC last week.

I love the outdoors. I love spring and summer the most and I hate winter because it makes me depressed. I do love the Christmas season though. I have a cat and three beagles and a huge koi pond with waterfall and about 200 fish.

Sorry I left out information. My professional goal is to learn all I can to help students that struggle with reading and encourage them to achieve their dreams despite many obstacles that they may face.

I have many favorite quotes but two I usually display for my students are:

"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." Ralph Vaull Starr

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it." William Arthur Ward

I'm using a MacBook for the first time and I have no idea how to italicize their names.

Lisa Boyd

Hello everyone! My name is Rhonda Sizemore. I am currently a Title I Reading teacher at Isaac Dickson Elementary, which is the experiential learning magnet for Asheville City Schools. I have to drive quite a distance so I am only taking one course per semester and two each summer. I spent 9 years in the classroom before becoming a reading teacher and I may go back to the classroom, but I wanted to focus on reading for a couple of years. I help implement RtI at my school by serving on the Student Support Team, helping with data collection and helping teachers write Personalized Education Plans. I enjoy working with struggling readers but I also like helping teachers develop strategies for them in the classroom. I am not exactly sure what my long-range professional goals are, but I can envision myself helping schools implement RtI. In my time away from school I enjoy going to thrift stores, reading and cooking. I have two biological children and two foster children. When I walked into the classroom Wednesday, I was happy to see so many familiar faces. One positive aspect of taking classes in Hickory and Boone has been meeting educators outside of my school district. I am excited about the types of assignments we will be engaged in this semester.

Hi everyone! My name is Anna VanBuskirk. I am currently teaching kindergarten at Morganton Day School in Burke County. This is my second year of teaching. Professionally I am interested in constantly learning how to best meet the individual needs of my students. My main goal in teaching kindergarten is to see my students fall in love with learning and reading! I am an avid reader, I love music (singing, piano, guitar) and I love spending time with my family and friends. This class will be a lot of work, but I appreciate the nature of the assignments. I rarely read for pleasure while taking classes...this is an opportunity to read with an excuse! I am already nearly halfway through "The Book Thief." As a lower-grades teacher, this class is a great opportunity for me to be exposed to literature for older students. I'm looking forward to learning from you all this semester!

Hi!
My name is Robin Clark and I teach kindergarten at Davenport A+ School in Caldwell County. At our school we integrate the arts within our curriculum. My students will be exposed to music; art; drama; violin; dance; and p.e. that follow the same k curriculum. Most of you I have had the pleasure of meeting before in previous classes. I've been working on my masters for several years now, only taking one class each semester. With teaching and its responsibilities; and my family; I'm pretty busy already ~ I've tried hard not to lose my sanity!
I love being in the reading program! It has helped me so much in teaching young children! I'm hoping that this class will help me understand the pre-teen and teen generation and the literature that they like. I love to read myself and am always open to new authors!

Hey!! My name is Brandi Brink and I am currently a full time graduate student at ASU! I graduated this past spring and continued directly into my graduate studies. I received my undergraduate degree in Middle Grades ELA/SS and at the end of summer 2012 I will have my Masters in Middle Grades ELA. I love Middle School—the students, the subjects, and every other thing that has to do with it. I am especially excited about this class because it focuses on young adult or adolescent literature and obviously this age group is of specific importance to me! I love reading and writing and I hope that when I begin teaching I can share this special connection with my students, and teach them how to embrace the ELAs.
I am originally from the coast of NC, Currituck to be exact (as far North East as you can go on the map before VA or the Atlantic). I have enjoyed living in the mountains and getting to know an entirely different part of our state, but the coast is always going to be where my heart resides. After I graduate I plan on teaching in NC, partly because of my obligation to Teaching Fellows, and also because I am excited to explore yet another region of the state. My hope is to find a position in the piedmont area of the state (are you seeing a trend!!) and start an entirely new adventure there. A few things I love are music, my family, the beach, sports/ football (especially ASU), reading, writing, and summer and fall.
One thing about this class that I am so anxious to experience is collaboration with teachers already in the classroom. Obviously my experience is limited, but I am very interested to know about what it is like to be a teacher in the classroom from the other students in this class.

Hello, my name is Molly McRorie, and I am a full-time graduate student at ASU in the Middle Grades Education program. I received my undergraduate degree in May in Middle Grades Education as well, and I decided to continue my education by enrolling in grad school because of my passion for learning, as well young adolescents.
Although I am not currently teaching right now, my main goal for when I am a middle school teacher is to make a difference in young adolescents' lives. Not only do I want to reach them through reading and writing, and hopefully make them lifelong learners, but my main goal is to be an adult advocate for them and help them through this exciting, but sometimes difficult, time in their lives. I find middle school age students to be hilarious, charming, challenging, smart, and the ones that need us the most! Through this class, I hope to learn even more strategies to get my students involved and interested in reading and writing, whether that is through YA Literature or fun writing activities.
When I graduate with my Master's, I plan on moving to the Washington, D.C./ Maryland area to teach because I love area, as well as have family there. I am very excited to meet all of you and see what this class has in store for me!

I'm Rebecca Bond, you can call me Becky. This is my eleventh year of teaching and my eighth year teaching second grade in Catawba County. My professional aspirations include becoming the best teacher I can be by earning my Master's degree and one day my national boards. I would love to become more of a leader at my school and mentor. When I am not teaching, I love taking care of my own children, Mallory and Max. I love to sing to my children, my husband, my class, and myself. It is a happiness maker for me. My impression of the class was exciting and a little bit overwhelming at the same time. This is my first Master's course for me. I have a long journey ahead. My learning goals for this class are familiarizing myself with adolescent novels, more updated graphic novels, and using these, especially the graphic novels, in a more primary way for my second grade class.

Hi All,
My name is Heather Miller. This is my fifth year teaching sixth grade reading (my entire teaching career) at Claremont Elementary School. I began my graduate program in Elementary Education and decided after one semester to switch to the Reading program. That was a great decision for me. Since then I have met many educators who are as passionate about teaching reading in an authentic way as I have come to be. I am currently considering applying to the Curriculum and Instruction Reading concentration doctorial program at UNC-Charlotte for next falls term. I would eventually like to teach in an education department at a university. I am excited about being part of a book club and about reading The Book Thief. It has been on my “books to read” list since last summer! I am also excited about the writing piece of this class. I enjoy writing and look forward to improving my own writing as well as learn effective techniques for teaching writing to my sixth graders. I look forward to a great semester!