Notes
Courtney has been teaching second grade for the past seven years and brings a total of 27 years of experience in education. Prior to her current role, she worked in special education within a self-contained Autism Resource classroom. Her entry into SPED began while subbing as a paraprofessional, which ultimately led to 12 years of service in the Leavenworth and Basehor–Linwood school districts. Courtney comes from a family of educators, including a speech-language pathologist and a journalist, which has further shaped her professional perspective.
In her current building, Courtney has access to an instructional coach, though she describes the support as “light coaching.” She also benefited from a mentor during her initial years in the district.
Courtney’s instructional program consists of approximately 95% phonics-based intervention, along with Wit & Wisdom for whole-group instruction. This is her second year implementing Wit & Wisdom, and she reports enjoying the curriculum, despite the learning curve. She notes that it is a significant shift from the previously used Journeys curriculum, which she describes as weak. Wit & Wisdom provides strong phonemic awareness, phonics, and comprehension components and is considered a “zero-entry” curriculum, allowing students to progress without limitations. This flexibility has been especially beneficial for Courtney, as she currently has two students who qualify for gifted support.
A typical day begins with ELA instruction from 9:35–10:30. Students engage in 60 minutes of Wit & Wisdom, with writing embedded into the lessons. All skills instruction is derived directly from the text. In addition, Courtney provides 20–30 minutes of intervention time focused on explicit phonics instruction for students performing below grade level.
Courtney was motivated to enroll in this course due to the cost incentive and the opportunity to earn her reading certification.