The Paths I Have Taken to Understand All Minds

Since I was little I always wanted to become a teacher. As a young learner I became motivated to overcome my learning difference by the help of my resource room teacher, Cindy Cooper, my parents, my third grade teacher, Mrs. Bloom, my Study Skills teacher, Mrs. Miller, my tutor, Mrs. Pierie and my husband, Al. Each of these individuals believed in me and allowed me to realize anything was possible. My goal, I wanted to do this for other children too.

I soon developed an understanding of how my brain worked and what strategies and accommodations I needed to succeed, the key: become my own advocate. I lead Speakers Bureau in High School and talked to parents and teachers of how they can help their children.

Working with children has always been a part of my life. At the young age of eight I was a babysiter, soon I moved up to a mother's helper, camp counselor and then to a nanny. Each of these jobs ensured me that each child is different, each child needs love and support and guidance to be successful.

In 2003 I graduated from Mount Saint Marys College with my degree in Elementary Education. These teachings in the classroom and hands-on experiences with my internships allowed me to begin to understand how I can take my own personal experiences and theory and place it into practice.

My first classroom experience was in Baltimore Maryland in Title I school as a 5th grade teacher. Taking my experiences from my former jobs and my work in outreach I felt this experienced provided me the opportunity to work with underprivileged families, a full classroom of 27, and many different learning needs. I soon came to realize that I was on my own often and these students needed someone to believe in them and show them that they could do it. I called it the "one room school house." We created daily incentive charts for each subject, behavior modifications, centers and various hands on activities to get each student intrigued to learn. My goal: for each child to smile at least once during the day, to build trust, provide clear expectations and a belief that they did matter.

After my first year as a classroom teacher I looked at the areas of my own learning journey that I struggled with and what could I teach children specifically. I remember it clearly, sitting in my third grade classroom and we were supposed to read the chapter book Little House on the Prairie, during independent reading I would flip through the pages and pretend to read and in reading groups when I was called on my two responses were, "I forget or I agree." My secret became known and it was evident that I could not read. It was uncomfortable and embarrassing, but the support of those I mentioned before brought me to want to teach reading and today I can truly state one of my hobbies is reading.

I relocated the following year and began my masters with Walden University online and studied Reading and Literacy. Walden University provided me the newest research and approaches that I could use in the classroom with readers. It allowed me to come to further understand reading differences and strategies to help these students. We were taught to observe, assess, provide feedback and insight to the parents and students, and various reading approaches: guided reading, reading workshop, multisensory spelling, differentiated instruction and how to apply interactive sites for reading.

In 2005 I began working as a Learning Specialist at a small independent school in Pennsylvania. Wow, I was provided the opportunity to work with 230 kids ranging in age from 4-12 everyday. The next three years my job molded and meshed as I continued my studies about the mind, observed and worked with students, created protocols, provided professional development and communicated to parents, teachers, administrators, students and specialists. My true accomplishments and joys from this job were:

• Collaborate with teachers to write and continually update learning profiles for Greene Street students. Learning Profiles contain strategies, accommodations and interventions geared specifically to each student’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Lead The Learning Support Team in the development of a Learning Support Program Guide for teachers and administration. The guide is an extensive system and protocol for identifying and supporting students’ individual learning needs.
• Implement and provide The Attuning diagnostic tool to gain an understanding of students’ neurodevelopment profile. The tool provides accommodations, interventions and strategies for parents, teachers and students as developed by Mel Levine.
• Create and provide ongoing Professional Development and tools to faculty and staff. Topics include: Learning Centers, All Kinds of Minds, Differentiated Instruction, Making Words, Fine Motor Skills, organization, enrichment, and Multisensory Spelling and Reading.

As a life long learner I thrive to continue to develop new goals and tools for myself and others. I left the Learning Specialist position to put into practice all the tools and strategies I learned. For the past two years I have been the 1/2 and 2nd grade teacher at the same independent school. Being a classroom teacher has brought joy to me everyday. Working with the same students daily, observing and learning about their interest's, strength's and weaknesses is exciting, energizing and enriching. Take a step into my classroom to view some of the tools, strategies, and ideas we have created.

My future dreams are endless:
~ Become a Reading Specialist
~ Become a Learning Consultant
~ Continue to develop my tutoring business
~ Degree in Leadership or Administration
~ Become an Administrator

Enjoy ~

Katie Portela