Experience Summary
My primary experience in my over twelve years of teaching has been teaching students with special needs, working mostly with younger students with difficulties with reading and writing, or math. When I taught in Virginia my position was split between two K-2 schools, and I became very interested in working with that age group and its particular needs. Because of my background in special education, I am very familiar determining what educational needs students have based on assessments and observations in order to make interventions as effective as possible. Besides the Woodcock Johnson III, I have been trained in using Qualitative Reading Inventories, DRA, and Running Records, and am familiar with Guided Reading, Dibles, and the Spire program. As a Special Education Teacher I have had a lot of experience working with other teachers and specialists to be able to help the students as much as possible.
Teaching Style
I have found that most children with reading difficulties learn by reading well-written stories and by writing from their own experiences. However, they also have to have the necessary tools and knowledge to do so, and that is where phonics comes in. I believe that children should be taught through their own interests at their own individual levels, and that children should be given choices when possible so they feel in control of their own learning. Based on my experience, I believe young children learn best through games, and that even necessary drills can be taught in a fun way. As a native of Iceland I do have an accent, but I have been very successful helping native English students improve their reading. My accent also interests many of my students in knowing more about Iceland and the world around them.