January 12, 2004

When last I wrote, I was hemming and hawing over getting a proofreader for my written entries. A colleague and recently board certified teacher agreed to support our journey throughout this process. That sounds simple enoughwrite for hours agonizing over each preposition and phrase, then get someone to critique it. Just a few questions run through my head like a continuous loopIs my intent clear? Is it too wordy? Is it not wordy enough? Does it answer the questions it's supposed to answer? Does it follow the criteria set forth by the boards? After taking all that into consideration, I cautiously printed my paper for review, then anxiously watched as she read through the text. (I had promised myself that I would leave the room, but I didn't.) She agreed to take it home for a second read though and to give back my paper -- complete with feedback -- the following day. I was surprisingly calm about it. I mean I had been stressing about this for a while. Needless to say I survived. Her suggestions were straightforward, and they helped highlight areas that she felt needed clarification. She also pointed out many verb tense errors. Overall, she was very positive about what I had given her to read. Another milestone conquered!

Meet Stephanie Capalbo Stephanie Capalbo received a bachelor's degree in psychology with a concentration in elementary education from Rhode Island College in May 1995. She became certified in early childhood education in August 1997. For the past six years, Stephanie has been teaching kindergarten at Bradford Elementary School in Westerly, Rhode Island. In the fall of 2000, the kindergarten at Bradford became the first and only kindergarten in the district to receive accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). In 2003, Stephanie was named Westerly's Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year.