Introduction Paragraph

Molly Frisch

Assignment One

Introduction Post

My name is Molly Frisch and I am a first grade teacher at Roseway Heights School in Portland, Oregon.  I have been teaching for 5 years and love my job.  In September I will be greeting 26 new first graders. 

I have used our district adopted Scott Foresman curriculum for much of my literacy program.  I have used the books that come with this curriculum for my guided reading groups and have used the unit themes to teach new vocabulary each week.  In addition to the curriculum I use our bookroom to get additional books for students to read in guided reading groups and I also have a big classroom library that students use daily.  For writing I have used a Writing Notebook that exemplary teachers put together in our district that goes through different units of writing.  There is an author’s study unit, a poetry unit, a personal narrative unit, etc.  These have been helpful, but often I feel I am teaching just to the top of the class when I use the notebook and so that is one of the reasons I am taking this class.  I want to be sure to be reaching all my students when I teach writing.

I was very fortunate to go to 2 writing trainings this year.  Both trainings took place during the school day in a classroom with an exemplary teacher.  We got to watch the teacher teach a writing lesson and then we got to interview the teacher to see how they set up their writing workshop and what strategies they use with their students to get them to be strong writers.  It was very helpful to see a whole writing lesson in the same grade that I teach.

The district I work for, Portland Public Schools has really struggled to bring student writing scores up.  I feel the pressure as a teacher to make sure my students are making the district benchmarks in writing.  However, I think writing is the hardest subject to teach, and so I need more direction in how to be an effective writing teacher.  I hope this class gives me the confidence and enthusiasm to be a better writing teacher.  I want to learn more about how students learn to write well and how I can provide fun lessons where students feel success and enjoy writing.

A few things about me are I enjoy running around my neighborhood, (Piedmont in north Portland) I love to bake, (especially chocolate chip zucchini muffins!) and I am extremely excited to be an Aunt.  My sister, Whitney gave birth to Nina on July 7^th.  I have loved getting to hold this beautiful baby.