Who is this Reading Specialista, and why is she blogging?

This is of course a valid question to ask, and one that I welcome all of my future readers to ask, and as your writer, it's my job to answer. My name is Piper, and although the tiny profile to the right will give you a taste of my life, it doesn't quite explain who I am, and why I thought it would be a good idea to start a blog. So I'll first back up and give you my literacy autobiography (which anyone who has taken a few graduate courses in literacy will be able to tell you, you write about 3 of these before graduation!)

In the beginning:

I loved reading from the start! My parents read to me and other relatives did too. I was even one of those complete nerds who signed up for Junior Great Books and had a zest for highlighting important text! Harry Potter, Scout, Ella, and Calvin were all my favorite characters who stretched my imagination to my limits and beyond!

In college, at Michigan State, I realized I wanted to be a teacher. It was probably driven by not only my love of teaching, but also learning. I absolutely loved being in the classroom and reflecting over lesson plans and thinking of new and innovative ideas to bring into my internship year. When I got my first job as a fifth grade teacher, I was thrilled to be able to move down to Texas with my college sweetheart and start a new life there!

But then...

Nothing changed about being a teacher, I loved my students and teaching, but something was different. The climate surrounding the state test at my school became overwhelming. Pressures from the district and the test started to squeeze my creative teaching instincts. Teaching became a job, not a joy as it once had been, and I thought of quitting. Luckily, however, I enrolled for Michigan State University's MA program in Teaching and Curriculum with a Specialization in Literacy.

And then there was Light!

I absolutely loved the courses and the learning I was completely engrossed in! My eyes were again opened to the possibilities and joys of teaching. I tutored various students to pay the bills throughout my courses and was renewed in my zest for learning and teaching. After I graduated, I started teaching at the school where I currently work. As a third grade teacher, I continued to share the renewed passion in teaching I found in grad school. I introduced and provided professional development on school-wide literacy assessments and various other topics, wrote a grant to Target for $2,000 which funded our first literacy night and take-home reading program, and helped to amp up summer reading by starting summer reading kick off events and summer reading packs school-wide. 

All the while, my principal and I talked about the possibility of me becoming the school's first Reading Specialist. After my second year of teaching at the school, I became certified as a Reading Specialist, and this past year, my principal and I laid the foundations for the position which I will be stepping into this year. It's truly a dream come true to not only find my dream school, but also my dream job within it!

So, why the blog again?

It has always been my thought that nothing is seen better or clearer than with fresh and new eyes. I'm reminded about this lesson daily when I watch my daughter, Charlotte, play. Everything's new, and she's constantly learning. She notices objects and colors with a novelty that my jaded eyes have long since taken for granted. It it because of this that I think it's the BEST time for me to blog about being a Reading Specialist. Yes, I am new, and I DON'T suppose to know all the answers, but I'll know some, and I'll find more that work for me which could also work for you. 

I'll share the tips I pick up and the difficulties I encounter, because let's face it, the Reading Specialist field is growing fast, and sometimes, it's kind of awesome to find someone in your same situation, just to be able to say "Oh yeah, that happened to me too," or "That's a different way to handle that than I would have thought, maybe I should try it next time!"

Who is this blog meant for anyways?

Well it's meant for you. All of you! 

If you're a parent, there will be ideas for literacy lessons and teachings to do with your kiddos at home. Even the little bit-bits can benefit from literacy games! 

If you're a classroom teacher, you'll have ideas to take from here as well! Centers, guided reading ideas, lesson plans, and tips, I hope to have a lot for you!

 Of course, the Reading Specialists! I'll have topics about my schedule, my hats (because as we know there are many), and my revelations as the year progresses.

So, I hope that you'll enjoy following my journey and that the little tidbits and extras I provide to my readership along the way will be helpful and applicable to you immediately! Thanks for stopping by, and see you next time!

Yours Truly in Literacy,

The Reading Specialista