Partners in Literacy: Madeleine Glowienka

What were your initial expectations about CLI?

I had few—basically I was unsure how it could/would really make a difference. I had taught such an assortment of programs—from basal readers, to whole language, to a company literacy series. Each time it felt as though we were reinventing the wheel, AGAIN!

How did you feel about CLI after receiving professional development services from them?

I truly felt empowered and excited that there was finally a way to teach all our children to love reading and writing.

Have CLI’s trainings, one-on-one, and small group coaching transformed your literacy instruction?

It has made all the difference from the very beginning. Even as a “seasoned teacher,” there was much I had to learn and practice to make all the parts fit together.  Through the trainings and coaching, I can honestly say I am able to teach ALL the students in my classroom at their starting place and make an incredible difference in their growth throughout the course of a year.

CLI’s goal is to create a “sustainable, school-wide culture of literacy that introduces students to the joys of reading, writing, and life-long reading.” How have you seen this develop in your classroom?  

Through CLI best practices, we have become a community of learners that grow together. My students love to sit together, read their favorite books, and share their thoughts. In Writer’s Workshop, the dialogue is amazing as my students learn to listen and help each other work out an idea. If we miss any part of our literacy block, my children are actually disappointed!

How has your use of CLI best practices helped your students’ learning improve? What changes have you seen due to your use of CLI practices? 

So many students are reading chapter books and writing “books” by the end of first grade. Each child in my room succeeds because we all know we are a family of learners.  I reflect on my teaching throughout the day, and my students reflect on their learnings.  We are not “learning to read” or “learning to write.”  We ARE readers, and we ARE writers!  CLI best practices ensure that our classroom is a dynamic literacy environment.

What is your literacy goal for yourself and your students during the 2016-2017 school year?  

Although we had an “author’s tea” last year, I would like to involve our families even more in our literacy community as often as possible.

Support teachers like Madeleine & help increase students’ early literacy rates.

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