Inspiring Achievements

Celebrating Educators
Shay Young, 1st Grade Teacher
South Elementary School—New Philadelphia, Ohio

Each year, Shay Young, a 1st grade teacher from New Philadelphia, OH, is faced with a variety of challenges in her classroom. These challenges stem primarily from the large range of reading levels that become apparent as the first few days and weeks of school pass.

Inspired to enter the teaching profession by her own 1st grade teacher, Ms. Young works hard each day to bring variety, inspiration, and individualized instruction to her students.

As is the case with so many U.S. classrooms, in a single class Ms. Young has students working far below level and some even working far ahead. Ms. Young views this demand for individualized instruction as one of her main roles as a teacher. To meet this need, she incorporates a variety of teaching tools and resources, such as small group instruction, repetition, and daily guided reading lessons.

“My greatest joy in teaching is when I can help a child make a
learning connection and the ‘light bulb’ comes on.”

As for readers who require specially targeted instructional approaches, Young notes, “Struggling readers need as much intervention as they can receive. They need extra help mastering decoding strategies, sight words, and fluency.”

Now that she has over a decade of experience, how does she recommend new teachers learn what they need to know? “Seek out veteran teachers with whom you have respect and the same philosophy. You need to be open-minded and flexible. You don’t learn everything you need to know in college, but in experience.”

As a teacher who has been involved in the lives of several hundred students, Ms. Young notes that their success is what inspires her the most. “My greatest joy in teaching is when I can help a child make a learning connection and the ‘light bulb’ comes on. Their little faces are priceless when they learn a concept and it finally makes sense to them.”

	EPS began as the leading publisher of materials for students with dyslexia. Over the past 50 years, we’ve developed programs that support students with a wide variety of learning disabilities. Choose a subject from the left to learn more about these resources.