Module 8

 

Michelle Suggs
Module 8
Reading Experts

            Teaching all children to read requires that all students are given excellent reading instruction. This could simply be the classroom teacher, but it could also be someone who has taken additional classes in reading instruction. These teachers are known as reading specialists, also known as reading experts, are professionals with advanced preparation and experience in reading who have responsibility for the literacy performance of readers in general and struggling readers in particular. This includes early childhood, elementary, middle, secondary, and adult learners (https://www.readingrockets.org/). Through these courses, this is what I am hoping to become. I am currently teaching middle school, but I teach self-contained special education, so it is more like early literacy for struggling students.
            If I was the reading expert working with different teachers at the middle school, I would want to ensure them of a few things. First of all, I would like to ensure them that I have been a teacher for over 20 years, so I have been in the classroom dealing with the same issues as them. I would also like for them to know that I am there to help and not take over. Finally, I would like for them to know that even though my title may be reading expert, the classroom teacher is often the expert when it comes to his/her students. I am there to give suggestions of different things that I think may help a child, but certain things will work better for certain students. I am there to support the teacher to assure that the student does get the best literacy education possible.
            I do still have a couple of questions about being a reading expert/specialist, and I am sure that they will be answered before finishing the entire program. How will I be assigned to students or classrooms? Will I just be there as a teacher support, or will I most likely be pulled to work with struggling readers? I know all school systems are different, so I am afraid that this particular job in different systems or even school may look completely different.

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