For my senior year at the University of Memphis, I completed a yearlong teaching residency at Elmore Park Middle School in Bartlett, TN, a suburb of Memphis as an ELA teacher. Three of the four classes I taught varied in grade and advancement: 6th grade gifted, 6th grade enriched, and 7th grade gifted. The high ability of my students made the classroom a fast-paced learning environment. I was able to spend more time going in-depth and challenging my students. Click here to access the school's website. Click the tabs at the top (Poetry, Writing, and WebQuests) to see some of the sample activities I created and implemented during my residency year.
In addition to my teaching residency, I have worked with middle school students as an 8th grade math tutor at Cummings School in the Soulsville neighborhood of Memphis. |
TechnologyEvery student in the school was given a MacBook Air as part of the inaugural year of one-to-one. This allowed technology to be integrated in a unique way since each student has personal access to a computer. I incorporated technology by creating independent research opportunities for students to deepen their understanding. For example, students worked in groups to research and present about a famous poet. (You can see more about this project here.)
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GiftedGifted students of this district, Bartlett City Schools, are part of a program called APEX (A Program for the Exceptional). APEX students have an elevated IQ and standardized test scores. In middle school, APEX is not a pull-out, but it is integrated into the language arts classroom.
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CurriculumThe Common Core State Standards guide the curriculum, but the gifted classes in the district have autonomy in designing the curriculum. Because of this, I was able to include many current events topics to bring the world into my classroom while still meeting the standards and objectives of Common Core.
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