Janet Napoli, Elementary Teacher of the Year
Philosophy of Teaching
Visualize a white hard hat, denim work shirt, a belt filled with visual symbolic “tools” that represent effective reading and writing strategies – enter The Tool Lady.
As a facilitator of change, I see my role in education to have fun while I empower teachers and model for students the latest best practices. Student potential should be our passion. Together we can create a powerful community of learners. By being highly organized and thoroughly prepared, I use technology, hands-on activities, and visual symbolic “tools” to help students internalize concepts as I move from classroom to classroom modeling lessons that get students involved as my “tool apprentices.”
After incorporating white boards in the lessons, each class is left with a “tool” to work on until I return. Students don’t even realize they are learning since they are involved with interactive tasks. Learning is alive, energized and vibrant.
Tool Apprentices Find Creative Outlets
As a youth, being at school among loving and caring teachers was my inspiration to be an educator. When I give students encouragement to handle issues, caring relationships are formed opening the door for students to seek me out to read their latest composition, share a new writing idea, and actually ask for some “next step” strategies. By always being available to students, they know I am there to support their thinking, creativity, and providing multiple opportunities to feel good about their abilities.
Tool Packing - To involve families, students take home blue backpacks filled with books, mentor questions for family members to encourage thinking skills, kinesthetic spelling tiles, “I’m the Teacher,” erase boards and instructions for conducting classes at home, family reading games, and goals targeted for each student’s specific needs. It’s all about instilling a desire to learn.
Got a Minute for the Tool Lady Apprentice? Every minute of the day is a learning opportunity. We need to take advantage of this. I created “Got a Minute?” which the “apprentice of the day” is empowered to use to select a quick mental challenge for their classmates when transitional “moments” appear throughout the day. Every minute should be about stimulating student thinking.
Tool Apprentices Become Actors - While teaching a lesson, I continually reinforce the use of the “tool” of forming visual images both mentally and on their paper to “see” what is happening. As students walk down the hallway and see me, they might create a “tornado” with their elbows and arms (focus the topic), draw a square in the air “thinking outside the box” or “model” a new action verb they have discovered. It’s about associations in learning and the excitement that comes with understanding the power of what they know.
Get your latest edition of the Tool Lady Literacy Newsletter! - We need to continually explore and share our talents with others. As the mentor for new teachers, I realize that even teachers take in information only when they are ready. This is true for students also. Establishing a reason to learn helps students to open themselves to eternalizing information. This led me to further develop strategies that help set up students for success.
As I teach lessons around the school, I encourage teachers to share their incredible ideas in my newsletter so all students benefit. One classroom I taught shared their idea they had for their questions of wonder. When they received the “hot-off-the-press” copy of the newsletter with their idea on the front, their eyes beamed with excitement. It is that openly sharing community that helps all students effectively learn.
Creating a Community of Learners
Creating a community of learners who are empowered to seek out the best for themselves is what drives the things I do in the classroom. Students are sponges. It is my job to help them absorb the most powerful “tools” that help them reach their learning potential.
As educators, we need to embrace the idea that students deserve “whatever it takes” from us. Teachers should facilitate the best educational opportunity for each one. By showing teachers that students do rise to our high expectations coupled with modeling sound writing instructional techniques, in one year the TAKS fourth grade writing scores went from 33% to 76% "commended."
Students should be challenged to take risks with their learning. Some may stumble as they climb the ladder to success, but I am behind them providing whatever “tool” is needed to take the next step towards academic excellence.
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Pictured at the April 21 Teacher of the Year Breakfast are (left to right) Skaggs Elementary School Beginning Teacher of the Year Catherine Taylor, Principal Mary Ann Bargmann and Teacher of the Year Janet Napoli. |
Educational / Professional Background
University Degrees
- Mid-management Certification (University of North Texas)
- M.Ed. – Special Education (Texas Woman's University)
- Educational Diagnostician Certification
- Learning/Language Disabled Certification
- Early Childhood Education Certification
- B.S. – Elementary Education
- English Certification - grades one through eight
- Kindergarten Certification
Additional Training
- Gifted (40 hours)
- ESL (24 hours)/TOP rater
- District’s writing workshop
- “Effective Strategies for Effective Writers”
- Reading Recovery
Teaching Experience in Plano ISD
- Literacy Specialist - Skaggs Elementary
- Seventh Grade English Team Leader
- Special Education Team Leader
- Fourth Grade Teacher
Skills in Designing Educational Content & Enhancing School Climate
- Currently designing fifth grade district language arts curriculum
- Created and teaching PEP summer school creative writing class
- Developed the special education “crate” literacy station work incorporated into “Strategic Reading” program
- Assisted PISD/East Cluster Middle School Curriculum Project with creating TAKS based curriculum activities
- Facilitated the special education program at Carpenter Middle School in realignment of belief statement and reorganization of the department
- Facilitated Site Based Council for Wells, Barksdale, Carpenter MS and Dooley, which resulted in the development of mission statements, goal setting and action plans
- Created:
- Interactive Grammar booklet
- Got a Minute? Booklet
- Writing Symbols for Effective Compositions
- Homework Help
- Tool Apprentice Backpacks
- Crate Goals: Interactive Special Education Station Work
Major Presentations
- TAIR Conference: Effective Language Arts Literacy Stations
- District Principal Meeting: The Power of Writing Symbols/SOPHIA M
- District Special Education Training: Hands-on Work Tasks/Crates
- State English Conference: Interactive Grammar Lessons
- "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens" Sessions at Carpenter Middle School
- Plano Chapter of Parents with ADHD students: Homework Strategies for Special Needs Students
Leadership Development
- Trained “Proficient Facilitator” for Plano ISD (1998-2001)
- PISD Mentoring – district instructor for new teacher program in Plano ISD (1997-1999)
- Site-based Improvement Council Facilitator for four Plano ISD schools (1998-2001)
- Writing/Reading Vertical Team Leader
- District “Resiliency” Program Trainer
- Yearly mentor for new teachers on campus
- Cooperating (mentor) teacher for TWU, UTD, Region 10 - multiple years
Awards & Recognitions
- Skaggs Elementary School Teacher of the Year 2008
- Carpenter Middle School Teacher of the Year 2003
- Wells Elementary School Teacher of the Year 1996
- Pi Lamda Theta – International Honor Society and Professional Association in Education
- Exemplary status on appraisals
- Perfect Attendance Award – multiple years
- Ten year volunteer pen from Denton State School
- PTA Lifetime Membership Award
- Certificate of Appreciation: Plano Chapter of Children with ADHD/ADD
School
Principal Recommendation
Teacher of the Year Selection Committee:
It is with great pleasure that I endorse the nomination of Mrs. Janet Napoli as Plano ISD’s Experienced Teacher of the Year representative from Skaggs Elementary. I have had the pleasure of working with her the past three of her sixteen years as an educator. She exemplifies complete dedication to meeting the needs of students and helping them be successful each day.
Mrs. Napoli, as a dedicated educator, works untiringly with students, staff and parents to prepare students to be successful in school and life. She has established a reputation as an extremely capable and effective educator. She has consistently displayed qualities of conscientiousness, organization and professionalism.
In addition, Mrs. Napoli has been recognized as an educational leader who is committed to academic excellence. As an accomplished teacher and leader for many years, she has been instrumental in helping students achieve Exemplary status due to high TAKS scores. She has served as our Literacy Specialist at Skaggs and through this position she has assisted in the development of our school as a Blue Ribbon School and a TBEC Honor Roll School.
I love to watch her teach students and work with staff to see how she takes them to such high levels. She is a definite asset to our building. Mrs. Napoli is a highly supportive staff member. While working with her, I have been continually impressed with her driving commitment to excellence and our vision at Skaggs. Her unique melding of personal and professional qualities have enabled Janet to lead her colleagues and the students of Skaggs to a successful involvement with the learning process.
Mrs. Napoli communicates clearly and effectively. She is articulate, effective with parents, and especially skilled in the area of professional capacity development. She has the ability to manage many situations, execute follow through, and establish priorities so that her day can most effectively be used to benefit students and support teachers.
I view Mrs. Napoli as a highly knowledgeable professional who exemplifies integrity, creativity, a strong work ethic, and high moral character. She combines these qualities with unusual wisdom and a scope of involvement that is to be admired.
While Mrs. Napoli’s career to this point has been impressive, she will surely make even more significant contributions to the education of children. She exemplifies all the characteristics of a Plano ISD Experienced Teacher of the Year!
Sincerely,
Mary Ann Bargmann
Principal, Skaggs Elementary School
E-mail congrats to Janet Napoli
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