A note from Claudia Vecchio Wille
I was always told I’m a little “too much.”
Too blunt. Too loud. Too emotional. Too much energy. But it’s an aspect of my personality that I’ve grown to appreciate and own. Over time, I’ve learned to channel my too-muchness into making sure everyone whom I interact with – teacher, student, or guardian – feels heard and valued. To do that effectively, I’ve had to continue to revise and reimagine what literacy learning looks like. From my first group of elementary students in NYC Dept of Ed to LAUSD students, I’ve learned that everyone is different and has different needs, so I'm always evolving to consider each person as an individual. But no matter what school or district or position I've held over the years, my commitment has always been to helping children find joy in some aspect of literacy whether that’s making meaning of a billboard, reading the entire series of their favorite author, writing a short story, or enjoying the poetry of their favorite song.
For the past ten years, I’ve pursued that commitment by working as a staff developer for emergent and elementary literacy instruction. This has allowed me to work closely with preschool teachers to create emergent literacy, project-based curriculum and help them meet the diverse needs of their students. At the same time, I’ve focused on raising my own three children to be passionate learners who aren’t afraid to embrace their own “too muchness.”
I am thrilled to bring more than 15 years experience in education to my work with you at Read. Write. Think. with Renee. You can always count on me to dive into any problem with the question of solving the “why” and coming up with a solution.
I believe learning to read and write are essential;
To give our students adequate opportunities in life, literacy is key.
I believe we need to get rid of “one-size-fits-all” thinking;
It is our job as educators to provide them with the right tools for their individual success because every single child has a special need depending on the content area and learning style. We shouldn’t expect the student change and instead equip teachers with enough tools to address the students’ individual needs.
I believe a successful learning environment is one that involves risk-taking and relationship building;
This is how we produce self-motivated, independent students, learners who feel successful at and love literacy.
I believe teachers need to be asking themselves “why?”;
Ask it about everything they notice about their students, their practices, the school goals, grade level goals, district goals, etc. Ask why something is working; ask why something isn’t. Ask what’s standing in the way of success. Ask what you can do to help your students and yourself. be more successful.
