K-2 Trail Guide - The Reading & Writing Project

Kara Gustafson is a doctoral student in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College. Kara brings yearsof experience as a teacher-leader and has taught throughout the elementary grades focusing on literacy education in inclusiveclassrooms.Amanda Hartman is Lead Coach at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and co-directs the Project’s workwith K-2 Reading and with ELLs. Amanda has co-authored three books: Authors as Mentors and The Conferring Handbook inthe series Units of Study for Primary Writing: A Yearlong Curriculum and One-to-One: The Art of Conferring with Young Writers, as wellas a CD-ROM: Conferring with Young Writers. Amanda also authored the DVD: Up Close: Teaching English Language Learners inReading and Writing Workshops. This year, Amanda will lead a K-2 specialty course on “Helping Students Make Reading andWriting Connections Across the Year.”Lauren Kolbeck, a staff developer, has pioneered new work linking literacy and science, and she has pushed back theknowledge base on K-2 reading-writing connections. This year she is teaching a leadership group about developingindependent writing projects. Before joining the RWP, she taught at PS 29 in Brooklyn.Celena Larkey was a classroom teacher and a writing mentor in grades K-5 before joining the RWP as a full-time staffdeveloper. She has played a key role in supporting schools that are using the K-2 Units of Study. Celena will be co-leading aLeadership Group on “Supporting Our Strongest Readers.”Erik Lepis, a primary staff developer, taught in suburban New York where he also led district-wide workshops for teacherson balanced literacy. He is currently completing his post graduate work in Educational Leadership.Natalie Louis, a staff developer and co-author of Writing for Readers: Teaching Skills and Strategies, teaches advanced writingworkshops at the summer institutes and is writing a K-2 book on engaging struggling boy writers.Linsday Mann was a K-4 Literacy Specialist and a teacher-leader within her district and throughout Oakland County, MIbefore joining the Project as a full-time staff developer. As a National Writing Project fellow and member of the GalileoLeadership Academy, she has been deeply engaged in action research initiatives and is currently pursuing her doctorate inCurriculum and Teaching at Teachers College.Alexandra Marron is an upper grade staff developer. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from ColumbiaUniversity. Prior to joining TCRWP she taught at Manhattan's P.S. 6, a long-time Project school.Enid Martinez is a senior staff developer. She has facilitated the Project’s close work with Words Their Way and otherapproaches to phonics. Along with her work moving New York City schools forward, Enid helps schools across theCaribbean, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Half Moon Bay, CA and Port Salerno, FL.Jamie Mendelsohn has taught primary and upper grades in Manhattan for the past five years. She received her dual Mastersin General and Special Education from Teachers College. This upcoming September she will be the Literacy Coach at PS 59.Cornelius Minor taught middle school English Language Arts at The Brooklyn School for Global Studies in Brooklyn, NewYork before joining the Project as a staff developer. He participated in the Inclusive Teachers Network led by Celia Oylerand is featured alongside his students in a chapter to the forthcoming book on that important topic. He is deeply involvedwith youth programs in the New York City area.Elizabeth Moore, a K-5 staff developer and doctoral candidate at Teachers College, has led leadership groups, specialtycourses, and coaching groups specializing in topics as such as assessment, content area literacies, and word study. She hasalso taught courses in the Literacy Specialist program at Teachers College.Laurie Pessah is Senior Deputy Director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, where she is responsible fororganizing staff development and shares responsibility for coaching staff developers. As a former principal and director ofliteracy, Laurie is deeply involved in working with school leaders. She leads K-2 staff development with Amanda Hartman.Laurie has co-authored two books, Nonfiction Reports and Procedures in Units of Study for Primary Writing: A Yearlong Curriculumand A Principal's Guide to Leadership in the Teaching of Writing.Audra Robb taught middle school in New York City before joining the Project as a staff developer. She currently supportsteachers throughout New York City and in Seattle. She will lead a specialty group on “Writing about Reading in FictionAcross the Year: Toward More Insightful and Text-Based Responses.”19