I first became involved with Xtreme Reading during the summer
of 2006 when I was assigned to the SIM ™teams supporting the Striving Readers
Projects in Portland, OR and Springfield, MA. My responsibilities in these projects included learning Xtreme Reading and then coaching teachers who were assigned to implement the
reading program in their schools.
Nancy Sander was my Xtreme Reading coach and mentor.
My support of Xtreme Reading teachers in the Striving
Readers Projects spanned from 2006-2010 and included activities such as
classroom observations paired with individual coaching sessions, model lessons
conducted in the classrooms, and review of students’ progress.
My team members and I developed a brief coaching sheet (which evolved
over the years to become the Xtreme Reading Focus Sheet currently used) as a
tool that could document and track coaching goals with each of the teachers.
I have been collaborating with Xtreme Reading teachers ever
since in a variety of locations across several different states. Over the span of time, I have tried to
develop and expand the types of resources I could share with teachers – such as
a “think sheet” that could be used for preparing for implementation of Xtreme
Reading and a list of alternate novels that could be used for guided reading. In the 2017-2018, I developed and
implemented a 4-part webinar series designed to extend conversations with Xtreme
Reading teachers and provide a means for teachers to network and share
ideas. My newest venture includes
shifting from face-to-face Xtreme Institutes to providing virtual sessions. Through it all, the most exciting part
of these experiences has been watching teachers become confident in their own
ability to help even their lowest performing students become more proficient
readers. Promoting student success
is what it’s all about.
