Welcome
This website is dedicated to providing tips, resources and insights into the art and science of teacher leadership.
About Me
I have been teaching high school reading and English in Lee County, Florida for twelve years. I established the Reading Department at North Fort Myers High School in 2002 and served as Reading Department chair there and at Island Coast High School. In January 2013 the school district introduced the position of teacher leader, which is supported by a grant called the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF). The role of the teacher leader is to provide model instructional practices, professional development opportunities, and support to colleagues and administrators. The efforts are intended to build the capacity of educators and ultimately increase student achievement. With my experience as an educator and a leader and my Master's Degree in Reading Education, I felt that I was an ideal candidate for this position. After undergoing a rigorous application process that included interviews with panels of school administrators, the gathering of recommendations and submission of a teaching video and data portfolio, I was selected for the teacher leader pool. From there I interviewed at several schools and was fortunate to be selected to be a part of the TIF team at Riverdale High School.
Being selected for this position was only the first of many challenges that I have encountered in the past year. Navigating my way around a new school, learning how to manage a demanding workload and establishing relationships of trust among my fellow teachers have all tested my abilities and led to new insights. Through this website I hope to share ideas, resources and encouragement for others who are beginning their journeys as coaches, teacher leaders or literacy leaders.
See also:
The Reading Ringer Google Site - A site created for my Language Arts Methods course during the Spring 2012 term at Florida Gulf Coast University. The site includes sections on my journey to teaching, a literacy autobiography, classroom innovations and a web-based thematic unit I created for the novel 90 Miles to Havana.
Ms. Etzold's Reading Blog - This is a blog that focuses on issues related to secondary reading. It includes blogs about current young adult literature, professional books and articles related to teaching, and classroom instructional resources.
Mrs. Ring's Reading Capstone - A website that displays the capstone project for my Master's in Reading Education from Florida Gulf Coast University. It consists of reflections on the learning and professional growth that I have experienced since beginning the master's program.
Being selected for this position was only the first of many challenges that I have encountered in the past year. Navigating my way around a new school, learning how to manage a demanding workload and establishing relationships of trust among my fellow teachers have all tested my abilities and led to new insights. Through this website I hope to share ideas, resources and encouragement for others who are beginning their journeys as coaches, teacher leaders or literacy leaders.
See also:
The Reading Ringer Google Site - A site created for my Language Arts Methods course during the Spring 2012 term at Florida Gulf Coast University. The site includes sections on my journey to teaching, a literacy autobiography, classroom innovations and a web-based thematic unit I created for the novel 90 Miles to Havana.
Ms. Etzold's Reading Blog - This is a blog that focuses on issues related to secondary reading. It includes blogs about current young adult literature, professional books and articles related to teaching, and classroom instructional resources.
Mrs. Ring's Reading Capstone - A website that displays the capstone project for my Master's in Reading Education from Florida Gulf Coast University. It consists of reflections on the learning and professional growth that I have experienced since beginning the master's program.
