Leslie Williams
Professional Educator
A Little About Me
Personal Life
-I grew up in the small town of Howe, TX.
-I graduated from Howe High School in 2002.
-From there I went to Grayson County Community College to take my basic course.
-I transferred to the University of North Texas and majored in Elementary Education.
-I graduated with a Bachelors Degree of Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in English as a Second Language in 2007.
-I have been married for 10 years to my husband Josh.
-I have two beautiful daughters, Kinlee (6) and Kamrie (3).
-When I am not teaching, I am working on my small business "LollyLand Designs," which is a design and decorating business for classrooms, businesses and parties.
-I love creating digital designs such as classroom themed decorations, flyers, business logos, invites, newsletters, and décor for personal and business use.
Teaching Experience
Student Teaching
-I did a full year of student teaching: a few weeks in 1st grade and the rest of the year in 3rd grade.
Elliott Elementary- Irving, TX
-I was hired by Irving ISD in 2007.
-I taught 4th grade ESL for four years.
-Balanced Literacy Coach (Lucy Calkins: Guided Readers and Writers)
-District Staff Development Presenter for Reading Curriculum and Summer Trainings
-Grade Level Chair for 3 years
-New Teacher Mentor
Western Valley Elementary- Phoenix, AZ
-I was hired on as a long term sub and taught 12 weeks in 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade.
-The next year I was hired on as the Librarian/Media Specialist.
-I was in charge of the morning announcements TV broadcast.
-I held intervention groups and taught small group tutoring sessions after school.
Freedom Elementary-Buckeye, AZ
-I was hired on as a Mid-Year 2nd grade teacher.
-Moved to 1st grade the next year
-I was in charge of the after school Enrichment program & I volunteered as the Library Coordinator.
Walnut Creek Elementary- Azle, TX
-Hired as a 2nd grade, Long-Term Substitute
Resume
To view my resume that includes all of my school involvement committees, leadership roles, past professional developments and conferences attended, click the link below.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2_IWGf77d4PcW9oeTJ4QjJwM3c/view?usp=sharing
Technology
I have experience with:
-Projectors for visuals
-Smart & Promethean Board for morning attendance and interactive lessons
-Document Cameras for modeling strategies
-Desktop/Laptop Computers to provide fun, engaging websites and research possibilities
-iPad's for self pacing timers, animated learning, picture walks, movie making, research,
rewards, etc.
-Clickers for interactive learning and quick response
-MPS listening stations to listening and re-listen to weekly stories or read aloud's in class.
-I love to use technology in the classroom to get the students more involved and connected to the lessons. There are ways that I could use technology in every aspect of my day. The possibilities are limitless.
-One of my personal goals are to use more "Smores" like this one to allow the students to follow my lessons and revisit them at home for help on homework or studying new concepts.
Fun Websites I love to Use in the Classroom
-Smores
-Remind
-Class Dojo
-Edmodo
-Go Noodle
-Tumble Books
-ChatterKids
-Popplett
-Prezi
-PowToon
-Kahoot
-BrainPop
-Write About This
-BookWriter
-Google Docs
My Favorite Lessons to Teach
Reading
-Balanced Literacy
-Reading Workshop
-Daily 5
-Small Groups
One of my favorite lessons to teach in my Reading block is Inferencing It's a hard metacognitive skill to learn, but you can really tell how it benefits the students reading comprehension when they are able to read between the lines.
I love to teach this lesson by playing up, "Crazy Mrs. Williams" and bringing in a trash bag full of clues from my "mysterious neighbor." I tell the class that I had noticed my neighbors acting really strange lately, so I snuck over in the middle of the night and took their trash out of their trash can on the street. Then I proceed to go through the trash to look for items that may lead me to figure out what is going on. The kids can not believe that I would steal the trash and get so into trying to figure out the mystery. Most of the time they do not even realize they are using their inference skills until we discuss it at the end and finally revel that Mrs. Williams is not really that crazy and I did not steal the neighbor's trash. :)
When ONE teaches...TWO learn.
Writing
I really enjoy teaching writing. It is always interesting for me to really see inside a child's mind and to be able to connect with them through their stories. When the students write, either through an assignment or just journaling, you get a glimpse of their true self. I enjoy teaching them how to use their voice and have their personalities come out in their writing.
One of my favorite ways to teach is through interactive, real life experiences. The students love to have guest speakers and fun new prompts, so I incorporated the two by inviting a editor of the GreenSheet to come and speak with the kids. She taught them some great writing strategies and told them about an upcoming event in the community. My students had to write a persuasive article on why we should build more parks around the city.
Afterwards she took up the students articles and drawing and in the next months issue she actually published some of the students work! This was so rewarding and an experience I know those students will never forget!!
I Become What My Students NEED to SUCCEED!
A Teacher's Many Hats
-A Cheerleader
-A Detective
-A Mom
-A Police Officer
-A Nurse
-A Zoo Keeper
-A Teacher!!
Classroom Management
Whole Brain Teaching
Whole Brain Teaching is a style designed toward maximizing student engagement, and focusing on the way the brain is really designed to learn.
I use the sound/response approach to encourage student engagement that effects and interest every type of learner and give students the ability to be involved in the teaching.
Behavior Chart
I use a vertical behavior chart as a visual representation of the students daily choices. Each day the students start on "Ready to Learn." The students are able to move up for exceptional behavior or down for their not-so-good choices.
Along with the chart the students will have a behavior calendar in their Take-Home Folder that allows us to document our day and keep parents informed on their child's behavior in class.
I will always love and respect my students as if they are my own!!
Parent Communication
-Parent communication is a big part of my job as a teacher. I always give the parents many options and opportunities to stay connected with their student's education.
-The students have daily take-home folders with a behavior chart.
-I send home weekly newsletters letting parents know our objectives and upcoming events for the week.
-I have used Class Dojo and Remind to send home quick reminders and helpful tips.
-I use a class website (or SMORE) to post always useful information about their child's time in my classroom.
-I love to send home pictures of the students hard at work to give the parents a little more insight of all the learning that takes place during the day.
Classoom Style
I believe giving the students a fun, welcoming place to learn is very important to classroom management. I want the students to want to be in the classroom and have fun while they are there. An clean, organized classroom also teaches the students that I care about how they learn and encourages them to take care of their learning space. Giving the students a fun theme to play around with during the year is always entertaining and promotes engaging discussions.
This is an example of my last classroom in Arizona. I just couldn't resist bringing a little bit of the "Western" Texas style to the desert. :)