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| Michelle Amend |
As the school year winds down, most
educators are drained and their energy level has dipped, almost coming to a
halt; so anyone having a professional development session for teachers this
time of the year must be superb. Well, we had one such person that shared with
us today by the name of Michelle Amend. Michelle works at the CESA 6 Literacy
Center where she supports teachers, schools, and districts - within the CESA 6
region and beyond - in the continual advancement of quality literacy practices.
The 40 teachers at Santa Primary School were in for a real treat today as they were, without exception, absolutely delighted by Michelle’s ability to relate the reading strategies to Belize’s curriculum. We were given plenty of opportunities to try out the skill/method immediately. This practical aspect helped me clarify my doubts and also get valuable input from other participants. The examples provided were meaningful and appropriate for our environment. Michelle showed us a truly differentiated approach to teaching reading comprehension. Teachers were given practical ideas on how to make reading comprehension more meaningful for ALL learners. The workshop addresses why content literacy must be an essential part of literacy initiatives, including the connection to the focus of the Common Core literacy standards.
Michelle, thank you so much again for the
inspiring and rewarding workshop. In the words of one teacher: “In the morning
I was not excited about having to spend my half day at a workshop when I have
report cards to complete but that mood didn’t last long! Normally the time
drags in a workshop, but with Michelle, the time passed so quickly.”
The principals and staff of Santa Elena
Primary School extend their heartfelt thank you to Michelle for her invaluable
contribution made to our school. Michelle, you have demonstrated the true meaning
of Maya Angelou’s quote.
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| Happy, Engaged Teachers |
