Hi, my name is Ms. McNeal. I have been in education for 24 years. I have taught 6-8th grade ELAR for 7 years and 4-5th grade for 2 years. I have held the reading specialist, RTI coordinator, and backup testing coordinator positions for 15 years at a middle school. I believe in creating a dynamic, student-centered learning environment that encourages a love of reading and writing while simultaneously fostering the development of critical thinking and communication skills. This is a key component of my personal literacy teaching philosophy. According to my theory, a teacher should balance direct instruction with student choice and encourage real-world learning to meet the various needs of every student.