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Certifications: Special Education, Elementary Education
Endorsements: ESOL, Reading Endorsements
In the early grades, Emily was ineffectively taught how to read and as a result she struggled greatly. Her 3rd grade teacher noticed immediately and provided extra supports in the classroom, while her parents invested in intervention methods at home. Emily understands how hard life through high school and college would have been without someone stepping in with effective instruction and intervention to remediate her reading abilities.
Following her time at the University of Florida, Emily taught Title 1 Reading as well as 3rd Grade in the public school system. While she enjoyed her time in the classroom, her deep love and concern for helping students who struggle to learn how to read led her to dream of a place where she could work one-on-one doing intensive reading instruction unlike anything possible in a whole class environment.
In 2018, Emily stepped away from the school system to fully invest in creating a program to help struggling readers. At St. Johns Reading Room, she is guiding young minds to make reading connections in the brain that will carry them to their full potential in reading and in life. The fact that nearly 50% of our students struggle in the reading process pushes her daily to change those statistics one child at a time.
Certifications: Special Education, Elementary Education
Endorsements: ESOL, Reading Endorsements
Since the beginning of his pursuit of becoming a teacher, Mike has had a passion for helping struggling readers. For the past eight years in the public school system Mike has taught 1st and 2nd grade for the primary purpose of helping students with foundational reading skills. During this time, Mike has seen countless students grow in their ability as well as love of reading. Some of his proudest achievements are providing highly effective instruction for struggling students and seeing them attain 1.5 to 2 years growth during the school year.
Noticed right away as an exceptional educator, Mike was named Rookie Teacher of the Year his first year upon moving to St. Johns County. He has had the privilege of working alongside a phenomenal principal who values reading instruction as much as he does. Together, they partnered with the University of Florida’s Literacy Institute (UFLI) to incorporate research-based reading methods into the whole class environment.
He has spent the last few years dedicated to helping students in his classroom, while working alongside Emily to create what St. Johns Reading Room is today. Mike is moving to a reading interventionist position at Ketterlinus Elementary, which will allow him to have even greater focus on supporting struggling readers while having the ability to work with SJRR clients. SJRR is incredibly excited to have Mike as a full-time teacher in the family business.
