Amber Fitts
High Point,NC
Summary
Accomplished Early Literacy Specialist with a proven track record at NC Department of Public Instruction, enhancing literacy across 18 elementary schools. Skilled in educational research and effective communication, I've led teams to top 25% achievement in reading and math. Expert in curriculum development and teacher coaching, committed to fostering student engagement and literacy excellence.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
EARLY LITERACY SPECIALIST
NC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Thomasville, NC
07.2023 - Current
- Literacy Lead for eighteen elementary schools in my district
- Responsible for data dives, coaching of principals and coaches within the elementary schools in my district to have knowledge on the most effective literacy practices
- Serve as a liaison between my district and the state regarding state mandated literacy initiatives
4-5 MULTI-CLASSROOM LEADER
ALDERMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Greensboro, NC
08.2021 - 06.2023
- Led a small collaborative team of five teachers in fourth and fifth grade to establish each team member's roles and goals monthly and collaborated with team of teachers to determine how students spend time
- Helped to shift the fourth and fifth grade collaborative planning by establishing a planning protocol as well as data protocols to ensure that all students are learning, and that core instruction was effective in each classroom
- Worked with strategic student groups to reinforce core instruction and pulled intervention groups fluidly based on common assessment data and other measures of formative assessment data
- Used the Get Better Faster framework to conduct coaching cycles with teachers in which I worked very closely, helping teachers to see the gap in their current instruction and mastery in the classroom
- I provided in the moment feedback to teachers via headsets, whiteboards, and worked on modeling lessons and co-teaching lessons with teachers on my team
3-5 CURRICULUM FACILITATOR
HUNTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Greensboro, NC
08.2018 - 06.2021
- Developed, modeled, and led long-range planning days at the beginning of each quarter to map a trajectory of the nine weeks and to execute a backward design approach for lesson planning at our school for each grade level
- Collaborated with teams to create common assessments and exemplars that aligned to grade-level standards
- Discussed grading of quality, grade-level work to ensure equity across each grade level and to ensure that all teachers were holding students to high, grade-level standards
FOURTH GRADE TEACHER
HUNTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Greensboro, NC
08.2011 - 06.2018
- Established a strong rapport with students, parents, and colleagues within our school community
- Designed, planned, and implemented math, reading, writing, social studies, and science lessons for varied skill levels of students, based on Common Core State Standards
- Planned for and conducted small-group lessons for students having skill-gaps in their reading and foundational gaps with their math
- Enhanced student engagement for learning by honoring choice, student agency, collaboration among students and allowing students to facilitate their learning
- Top 25% of teachers in the county and the state for student achievement data in reading and math for consecutive years, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018
- Hunter Teacher of the Year, 2015
- County Finalist for Mentor Teacher of the Year, 2018
FOURTH GRADE TEACHER
WILEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Greensboro, NC
08.2010 - 06.2011
- Taught at a turn-around school in a single-gender classroom of twenty female students
- Increased student engagement and motivation by creating and implementing innovative and high-interest lesson plans
- Wiley Rookie Teacher of the Year, 2011
Education
MASTER OF EDUCATION - TEACHER EDUCATION, READING EDUCATION (K-12)
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro, NC05.2018
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Greensboro, NC05.2010
Skills
- Hardworking
- Committed
- Self-motivated
- Effective communication
- Interpersonal skills
- Extensive curriculum knowledge
- Experience coaching teachers
- Data-driven
- Meticulous
- Organized
- Elementary literacy
- Reading instruction
- Literacy coaching
- Educational research
- Writing intervention
- Reading intervention
- Student engagement
- Instructional strategies
- Early childhood literacy
- Writing instruction
Affiliations
- North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), Current Member
- Guilford County Association of Educators (GCAE), Current Member
- National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), Current Member
- Greensboro Reading Council (GRC), Current Member
Websites
Certification
- K-6 Teacher License, North Carolina
- Certified Literacy Specialist K-12
Professional References
- Casey Lloyd, Principal, Southwest Elementary School, (336) 339-5618, lloydc@gcsnc.com
- Michelle Wolverton, School Support Officer, Guilford County Schools, (336) 669-4672, wolverj@gcsnc.com
- Dr. Sam Miller, Faculty Member, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, (336) 202-4712, sdmille2@uncg.edu
- Sarah Stallings, Former Colleague and Team Member, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, (336) 264-0492, stallis@uncg.edu
Staff Development And Leadership Activities
- Mentor for beginning teachers, 08/14-Present
- Presented at the North Carolina Reading Association Conference, Spring 2018
- Co-Presenter at the North Carolina Reading Association Conference, Spring 2015
- "Differentiation for Struggling Learners" - Professional Development created and presented to staff, 03/15
- "Vocabulary Instruction in the Upper Grades" - Professional Development created and presented to staff, 01/15
- "Striving for Success and Expecting Excellence" - Professional Development created and presented to staff, 10/14
- Developed and implemented professional development sessions targeted to the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards for the staff, 08/14-Present
- "Striving for Success and Expecting Excellence" - Professional Development created and presented to teachers from across the district at Mission Possible Retreat, 08/14
- Mission Possible Teacher Leader, 11/13-06/17
- Hunter Elementary Leadership Team Chairperson, 08/13-06/14
Professional Development
- LETRS, Guilford County Schools, 2019-2021
- Data Literacy, Guilford County Schools, 2019-2020
- School Based Data Coach Cohort Year 1, 2019-2020
- LETRS Professional Learning Facilitator, Volumes 1 and 2, NC DPI, 2023-Present
- LETRS Professional Learning Facilitator, Early Childhood, NC DPI, 2023-Present
Timeline
EARLY LITERACY SPECIALIST
NC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
07.2023 - Current
4-5 MULTI-CLASSROOM LEADER
ALDERMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
08.2021 - 06.2023
3-5 CURRICULUM FACILITATOR
HUNTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
08.2018 - 06.2021
FOURTH GRADE TEACHER
HUNTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
08.2011 - 06.2018
FOURTH GRADE TEACHER
WILEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
08.2010 - 06.2011
MASTER OF EDUCATION - TEACHER EDUCATION, READING EDUCATION (K-12)
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE - ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
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