Taelyn Coffee, 3rd grade, Riverbend Elementary in Juneau.

DEED Spotlight on Teachers: Taelyn Coffee, 3^rd grade, Riverbend Elementary in Juneau.

Reading fluency, reading accuracy, and reading comprehension are skills needed for students’ confidence and success through their education.  Ms. Coffee’s role as an educator is to cultivate and encourage reading as a life-long skill, as well as fostering the simple joy of using one’s imagination. 

Ms. Coffee feels fortunate to have students from Thunder Mountain High School’s Education Psychology class visit her classroom twice a week. The visiting students gain experience with learning environments, teaching strategies, and creating relationships with students, while the third graders are able to gain confidence in their reading abilities by reading aloud to the high schoolers – a practice that builds healthy relationships with community members and fosters a sense of pride!

Ms. Coffee uses literacy centers throughout the week, which focus on word work, elements of writing, and reading skills. The classroom library is fully stocked with classics and newer publications, spanning every genre. Students participate in daily read-alouds, engage in thoughtful discussions with their peers, and answer questions to demonstrate comprehension. Reading is not simply a skill – reading is about making meaningful connections and figuring out how the information helps us understand the world around us.    

Thank you, Ms. Coffee, for helping to cultivate confident and thoughtful readers!