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About Brynn Decker


Educational Philosophy

"As an educator, I am passionate about helping students discover a love for knowledge, a confidence in their abilities, and a desire to become life-long learners. For some students this is natural, but for others it is a struggle.

I believe that all children have the capacity to learn. I take great delight in coming along side struggling students, figuring out their strengths and weaknesses, and replacing their insecurities and fear with confidence and excitement about learning. 

Literacy development, simply put, is a large stack of building blocks. Through a balanced literacy approach, I use what students know to fill in gaps and then build new knowledge systematically towards obtaining an end goal. 

When teaching new concepts, I use my understanding of how the brain learns to capture the student’s interest and attention in order to construct a deep understanding that promotes long-term retention.

The brain learns best through multisensory experiences. Therefore, I believe in having students engage in learning through movement and interactive experiences that are fun, purposeful, and engaging. This sparks interest, which paves the way for learning through meaningful practice. Practice breeds confidence, which opens the door for future learning, independence, and success. 

As William Butler Yeats once said,

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” As an educator, I am passionate about figuring out how to light the fire for learning and then watching it grow."

Hands-On Experience in Education

  • Teacher – 2nd and 3rd Grade
  • Reading Coach – Elementary Building (K – 6)
  • Learning Specialist – Kindergarten & 1st Grade
  • Early Intervention Instructional Coach – Elementary Building (K – 6)
  • Professional Development Facilitator (K – 6)
  • Instuctional Coach - Elementary School
  • Elementary Tutor (K – 6)

Literacy Framework & Curriculum Knowledge and Experience

  • Reader’s Workshop – Units of Study (Lucy Calkins)
  • Writer’s Workshop – Units of Study (Lucy Calkins) Daily 5 and CAFÉ
  • Reading Recovery
  • Foundations and Frameworks
  • Writer’s Stylus
  • Architecture of Learning
  • 6+1 Traits of Writing
  • Orton Gillingham Phonics
  • Words Their Way
  • Wiley Blevins Phonics
  • Basal Curriculum such as Open Court Reading and Treasures SRA  

Education & Formal Training

  • B.A Early Childhood Education – Miami University
  • M.Ed Reading Language and Literacy – Georgia State University
  • Orton Gillingham Trained
  • Foundations and Frameworks Curriculum Trainer
  • Architecture of Learning Trainer
  • Writer’s Stylus Curriculum  Lead Contributor
  • Clerestory Learning Program Support Specialist

My Top 10 Most Influential Literacy and Education Experts

  • Lucy Calkins
  • Marie Clay
  • Noam Chomsky
  • Ralf Fletcher
  • Kelly Gallagher
  • Kevin Washburn
  • John Medina
  • Daniel Goleman
  • Jim Knight
  • Mike Maddox
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