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Teaching Experiences
I am currently a middle school teacher in Nashville, Tennessee. I have 11 years of teaching experience - seven as an elementary teacher, two as an English and Communication college instructor in my home country which is the Philippines, and two as an ESL teacher.
I obtained a 130-hour certification in Teaching English as a Second Language from the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute, and I have also studied Linguistics, the History of the English Language, and Literacy for English Language Learners or ELLs. I teach academic ESL, specifically in the area of Praxis preparation for student teachers, and I also help adults successfully hurdle the International English Language Testing or IELTS.
In 2014, I collaborated with the Nashville-based nonprofit group, Project Illuminate, and I designed a writing curriculum for the children and adolescents at the Nashville Rescue Mission. I taught the writing therapy class during the summer. In addition to this, I also organized a Reading Clinic for the summer camp at St. Pius X Classical Academy, a Pre-K through 8th grade school located in North Nashville.
This school year is my 7th year of elementary teaching, and it is an honor to serve the children and families of the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS).
I obtained a 130-hour certification in Teaching English as a Second Language from the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute, and I have also studied Linguistics, the History of the English Language, and Literacy for English Language Learners or ELLs. I teach academic ESL, specifically in the area of Praxis preparation for student teachers, and I also help adults successfully hurdle the International English Language Testing or IELTS.
In 2014, I collaborated with the Nashville-based nonprofit group, Project Illuminate, and I designed a writing curriculum for the children and adolescents at the Nashville Rescue Mission. I taught the writing therapy class during the summer. In addition to this, I also organized a Reading Clinic for the summer camp at St. Pius X Classical Academy, a Pre-K through 8th grade school located in North Nashville.
This school year is my 7th year of elementary teaching, and it is an honor to serve the children and families of the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS).
Educational Background
I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Saint Louis University Philippines and a Master's of Education with Reading emphasis from Regis University. I also earned 24 graduate hours of coursework in Master of Arts in Teaching English. Currently, I am taking my doctoral studies in Leadership at Creighton University. I also plan to work on my National Board Certification. I believe that you cannot give what you do not have, and to effectively serve my students, I must continuously improve myself.
My immediate goal is to promote literacy and new literacies across the curriculum and advocate for the underserved student populations. I strongly believe that every child can succeed in the classroom, and it begins with evidence-based instructional methodologies.
Teachers with a wide range of experience and a strong foundation of knowledge enhanced by scientifically based reading research from which to make judgments about what to teach, when to teach it, and to whom, ensure a successful outcome when working with all students but especially with students at risk of failing to learn to read or with those who have already fallen behind. (as cited in Aaron, Joshi, & Quatroche, 2008; McCardle, Chhabra, & Kapinus, 2008)
My vision is to establish a PreK-8th grade school that uses a curriculum that weaves classical education and 21st/next century learning.
My immediate goal is to promote literacy and new literacies across the curriculum and advocate for the underserved student populations. I strongly believe that every child can succeed in the classroom, and it begins with evidence-based instructional methodologies.
Teachers with a wide range of experience and a strong foundation of knowledge enhanced by scientifically based reading research from which to make judgments about what to teach, when to teach it, and to whom, ensure a successful outcome when working with all students but especially with students at risk of failing to learn to read or with those who have already fallen behind. (as cited in Aaron, Joshi, & Quatroche, 2008; McCardle, Chhabra, & Kapinus, 2008)
My vision is to establish a PreK-8th grade school that uses a curriculum that weaves classical education and 21st/next century learning.
Accomplishments
Nashville Rescue Mission: Writing Curriculum
Using the research of literacy giants Irene C. Fountas, Gay Su Pinnell , Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey, I designed a writing curriculum for the children and youth at the Nashville Rescue Mission. Through the Nashville-based, nonprofit group Project Illuminate, I launched the writing curriculum by teaching it in the summer of 2014.
The writing curriculum is a form of writing therapy that leads to reflection and self-discovery. The students used a writer's journal to explore and express their thoughts.
The writing curriculum is a form of writing therapy that leads to reflection and self-discovery. The students used a writer's journal to explore and express their thoughts.
Reading Clinic
I organized the first-of-its-kind Reading Clinic at St. Pius X Classical Academy, an elementary school located in North Nashville. The Clinic was for students who have been identified with reading difficulties. The reading intervention program used was the Wilson Reading System®. The Wilson Reading System® is research-based and multisensory.
Curriculum innovation based on research
1. An integrated Language Arts curriculum for 5th-8th grades
2. The melding of the Writing Workshop Model, ancient Progymnasmata, and the Excellence in Writing program as a cohesive unit
3. My students were provided with plenty of opportunities for continuous oral language development, notably the once-a-week read aloud of their written work, reader's theater, dramatic plays, Socratic dialogues, and the 7th and 8th grades' oral defense of their thesis.
4. The 7th grade students wrote critical essays of a piece of literature of their choice, and the 8th grade students researched and investigated a topic from any of the disciplines they were interested in.
2. The melding of the Writing Workshop Model, ancient Progymnasmata, and the Excellence in Writing program as a cohesive unit
3. My students were provided with plenty of opportunities for continuous oral language development, notably the once-a-week read aloud of their written work, reader's theater, dramatic plays, Socratic dialogues, and the 7th and 8th grades' oral defense of their thesis.
4. The 7th grade students wrote critical essays of a piece of literature of their choice, and the 8th grade students researched and investigated a topic from any of the disciplines they were interested in.
5. Project-based learning experiences to promote critical thinking such as the publication of books, critical essays, research papers, response-to-literature projects, quarterly literary papers, online publication, and online peer reviews.
6. I redesigned the 8th grade English curriculum into a capstone course to focus more on interdisciplinary teaching and learning methodologies.
7. Responses to literature included game and app design, simulations using Minecraft, creating print or video advertisement, film, composing music, and doing interviews.
6. I redesigned the 8th grade English curriculum into a capstone course to focus more on interdisciplinary teaching and learning methodologies.
7. Responses to literature included game and app design, simulations using Minecraft, creating print or video advertisement, film, composing music, and doing interviews.
Response-to-Intervention: User for 3 years
I have been using response-to-intervention (RtI) in my classes for three years. Since teaching the middle grades in 2011, I have used easyCBM Lite Edition® as a reading and math intervention program. RtI enables me to differentiate my instruction and at the same time, use the Universal Design for Learning. These evidence-based practices ensure that all of my students receive the highest quality of instruction.
Professional leadership: Mentoring
During the first semester of the school year 2013-2014, I had the privilege of serving as a cooperating teacher to an English 7-12 student teacher of Aquinas College. It was a fruitful and learning experience for both of us.
News 2 Educator of the Week
On April 15, 2014, I received an award from News Channel 2 of Nashville and the Tennessee Lottery. The name of the award is News 2 Educator of the Week. There is a separate tab for this award. Please feel free to visit it.
STEM
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics or collectively known as STEM is also a field of discipline that interests me. I have always incorporated technology in my classroom, and for the school year 2013-2014, I used Edmodo as a learning management system for my classes.
In addition, I have initiated and coached the first Lego student organization in my former school. Using a Lego Mindstorm robotic kit, my former students built a prototype robot that would help in the efficiency of food distribution in the school cafeteria.
The students also learned basic computer programming through the Hour of Code.
Having worked at Texas Instruments as a corporate communications specialist has influenced my interest in STEM. Ask me how a silicon wafer is manufactured into an integrated circuit!
I am ecstatic that my school principal at MNPS approved my proposal for a Lego Robotics afterschool club! It is an exciting school year.
In addition, I have initiated and coached the first Lego student organization in my former school. Using a Lego Mindstorm robotic kit, my former students built a prototype robot that would help in the efficiency of food distribution in the school cafeteria.
The students also learned basic computer programming through the Hour of Code.
Having worked at Texas Instruments as a corporate communications specialist has influenced my interest in STEM. Ask me how a silicon wafer is manufactured into an integrated circuit!
I am ecstatic that my school principal at MNPS approved my proposal for a Lego Robotics afterschool club! It is an exciting school year.
Languages & Russian literature
Aside from teaching full time, I also do part-time translation as a hobby. I speak English, Tagalog, Ilocano, and Spanish.
At the moment, I am trying my best to learn Old Church Slavonic so I can understand the hymns of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Lately, I have been listening closely to Sergei Rachmaninoff's version. Speaking of Rachmaninoff, I LOVE Russian literature. My ultimate favorite Russian writer is Leo Tolstoy.
At the moment, I am trying my best to learn Old Church Slavonic so I can understand the hymns of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Lately, I have been listening closely to Sergei Rachmaninoff's version. Speaking of Rachmaninoff, I LOVE Russian literature. My ultimate favorite Russian writer is Leo Tolstoy.
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Literacy Musings by Belén Egan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://literacy-musings.weebly.com/.
© 2014 Evelyn "Belén" Egan All Rights Reserved
The opinions and reflections expressed herein are strictly those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of the author's past, current, or future employment and/or school/college/university, or any of its publications.