Hello! My name is Mrs. Rachel Smith, and I am very excited to be the new Title 1 Tutor, Reading Specialist, and Curriculum Coach at St. Brigid School. Prior to this role, I taught first grade and 5th/6th grade language arts and social studies. I am blessed to say that this will be my ninth year teaching at this wonderful school. For my undergraduate program, I attended the University of Dayton and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Education with focus areas in elementary education and remedial education as well as a training certificate in dyslexia. As a student and a teacher, I have always had a passion for reading, so I decided to further my education and receive my masters in literacy from the University of Dayton. After I graduated with my masters, I passed two reading assessments through the Ohio Department of Education to receive my reading endorsement. As an educator, I strive to model the Gospel values, create lifelong readers, and give each student not only an education, but a passion to learn.
The reading and tutoring program I will be implementing will be a positive and supportive program designed to give students an extra boost in their academic skills and self-esteem. My key role is to provide supplementary, evidence-based interventions in small group and individualized settings. I will focus on different strategies to teach reading and provide differentiated instruction to all of my diverse learners. Each student is unique with a different learning style, therefore, it is important to use data and observations to challenge students and help them be successful in the classroom. My primary goal is to help each student acquire the necessary reading skills to become proficient readers. I will work with each student’s teacher to identify areas of need to individualize their educational experience. I also believe parents play a pivotal role in their child’s learning, so it is important to have ongoing communication between home and school to enhance your child’s educational experience and promote learning to the highest level.
I am looking forward to another fantastic year with this wonderful, faith-filled community. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at rsmith@stbrigidxenia.org or contact the school office.