Professional Speaker Archives - Susan Fitzell

What does Co-teaching, Personality Styles and Flexible Grouping have in Common?

Susan Fitzell, M.Ed., CSP — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 22:38:18 +0000

Co-teaching, Personality Styles and Flexible Grouping were topics for seminars at Woodington Middle School

The teachers at Woodington Middle School in Kinston, NC.

For the past two days, I’ve had the pleasure of working with dedicated teachers Co-teaching at Woodington Middle School. Their Principal, Diane Heath, is doing her best to support the teachers through their Inclusion and Co-teaching initiative. Yesterday, we covered co-teaching strategies and personality styles. Everyone dug right in and worked with the material finding ways to use the information in their classrooms. I love it when I have the opportunity to work with motivated teachers!

Today, teachers got in three small groups to do an adapted jigsaw about how to manage small groups and flexible groups in the classroom as well as how to develop and run Acceleration Centers TM to support varied levels of learners in the Inclusion classroom. It was so exciting to watch how the groups developed their teaching strategies and mind maps to teach the other groups about their section. See the pictures from the group!

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I Got My CSP!

Susan Fitzell, M.Ed., CSP — Tue, 29 May 2012 18:31:21 +0000

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Susan Gingras Fitzell earns CSP 2012

I just got notice in the USMAIL: Congratulations! You are officially recognized as having achieved the highest earned international recognition for professional speakers, the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation. You join the ranks of an elite group of esteemed colleagues who hold this designation. THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! to my friends and colleagues who helped me to achieve this honor with your testimonials and endorsements. I am incredibly grateful. Special thanks to Jeffery Sullivan for the countless hours you put into helping me complete the application – a five year process.

The Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, established in 1980 by the National Speakers Association (NSA), is the speaking profession’s international measure of professional platform skill. CSP is conferred by the US-based National Speakers Association and by the National Speakers Association of Australia only on those who have earned it by meeting strict criteria. The letters CSP following a speaker’s name indicate a speaking professional with proven experience who understands what is required and knows how to deliver client satisfaction.

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Gilmanton, NH Teachers Embrace Differentiated Instruction

Susan Fitzell, M.Ed., CSP — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:20:29 +0000

Gilmanton School Works to Reach All Learners

Last Friday, I did my “Differentiated Instruction Strategy Blast” seminar at Gilmanton School. Not only was a treated to breathtaking foliage on the way to this New Hampshire town, I spent the day with a motivated, positive staff who truly care about helping their students succeed.

Here’s the first indicator: The front tables filled up first! When I saw that happen I knew that I was in for a great day! Ok, it’s true, we presenters are partial to people who are willing to brave the front row.

Teachers were also willing to share their best practices and resources with me.

Following are strategies and tips that are working for Gilmanton teachers.

For students to build vocabulary skills at home, suggest to parents that they turn on the closed captioning on tv.

Use the sign language alphabet to have students practice spelling words. We used it very successfully with special education students in grades 4-8. One first grade teacher plans to use it as a center. Idea contributed by Amy Small

A great website for building vocabulary and doing a good deed is www.freerice.com – grammar, foreign languages, multiplication, vocab, science elements. Idea contributed by Erika Langlais

For pictures to connect to vocabulary for visual vocabulary review cards, try http://www.makebeliefscomix.com – This site is a wonderful tool for teachers and students alike!

Lastly, here is a a free online tool that has the potential to meet the needs of more than just the students with learning disabilities for whom it was intended. Read the Words — http://readthewords.com “Originally designed for students with disabilities, ReadTheWords accepts multiple input formats such as MS Word, PDF, or html for users to create readings. Output is a synthesized speech file in one of fifteen voices that can be heard online, downloaded, saved, and shared. If you download the toolbar, you can convert text in a web page to speech without having to go to ReadTheWord.com”

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