Heather Byington

Fourth Grade Teacher, Evergreen Elementary School, Shelton, WA, and Success at the Core Fellow | Heather Byington is a National Board Certified Teacher who teaches fourth grade English and Spanish curricula at Evergreen Elementary in Shelton, Washington, a dual-language school. In addition to teaching full time, Heather is an instructional coach. As such, she has used Success at the Core resources to prepare for services focused on improving student learning. She has provided many training opportunities at district, state, and national conferences on instructional strategies that meet the needs of English Language Learners and diverse learners. Heather has served on various district and state level committees, advocating for diverse learners. Heather is a Success at the Core fellow.

Posts by Heather Byington:

• English Language Learners Will Succeed in This Classroom

  May 16 2013 | bilingual | Dutro | ELL | English Language Learners | GLAD | poverty | rural | SIOP

  Working in a rural, dual-language school with 70% Latino, 50% ELL students, and 90% poverty, I sometimes feel like my school is a ship adrift alone in an ocean, understood by few and misunderstood by many. Since I began teaching English Language Learners (ELL) in 1997, I’ve continuously pursued the answer …

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• Friday Forum – Any Helpful Resources for Diverse Learners and ELL Students?

  May 10 2013

  Friday Forum is a bi-weekly advice column for educators seeking guidance on educations issues. Please join the discussion – we want to hear your stories and suggestions, too! Q: Can you provide a few examples of resources to help me meet the needs of my diverse learners and ELL students? - …

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• 8 Tips for Boosting Student Engagement in the Classroom

  April 17 2013

  It was a sublime teacher moment. As I looked around the room, I saw that all of my students were engaged in their learning. They were writing free verse poems about Washington State, with word banks generated by input from their parents. They were talking to each other in small …

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• Friday Forum – Any Helpful Resources for Questioning Strategies?

  April 12 2013

  Help!  I’m coaching three new teachers this year, and we’re focusing on questioning strategies as a way to draw out what their students understand and what misconceptions may exist in their learning. At the same time we want to develop more student discourse. I’ve done one model lesson. Now, I’m …

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• Preparing to Talk Evaluation with My Principal

  
  March 14 2013 | evaluations | Implementing New Instructional Strategies | National Board Certification | templates | Washington state

  Like many of you, I’m already thinking about my final evaluation conference with my principal. I know that the new teacher evaluation system in my state (Washington) requires me to give evidence of differentiating instruction to meet my students’ needs. I must also show evidence of students’ academic growth. Trying …

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• Knowing When Elementary Students “Get It”

  
  January 25 2013 | elementary school | Exploring Predictions | formative assessment | Guided Groups | mathematics | Quality Evidence Rubrics

  In the Success at the Core video Guided Groups, middle school teacher Shawna Moore directs her students to assess their understanding of a concept by assigning themselves a “C” (I’ve got it), “B” (I've got a few clarifying questions) or “A” (I still have major misconceptions). This video inspires …

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• CCSS: When Vocabulary Alone Isn’t Enough

  
  November 27 2012 | Common Core State Standards | English Language Learners | Using a Warm-up to Review Content

  I teach in a dual language elementary class where students learn in a language that is not their first. Teaching language and literacy—while simultaneously teaching content knowledge—is my daily reality. I know that I need to incorporate listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing into every lesson. A few years ago, while …

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• What the Olympics “Fab Five” Taught Me About Teamwork

  
  August 19 2012 | collaboration | leadership | leadership teams | Olympics | Professional Development

  I won’t soon forget the 2012 London Olympics. There were so many inspiring stories – from the South African double-amputee who competed in the 400-meter race, to the American who became one of the first women boxers to medal in the Olympics. Above all, though, I felt a …

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• When Leadership Sets off Fireworks in the Classroom

  
  July 10 2012 | classroom | reading | student engagement | teacher development

  As the Fourth of July approached last week, I found myself humming along to “Firework,” the Katy Perry song blaring on my computer, while a recent camp class’s photo slideshow danced across the screen. At that moment, I couldn’t help but reflect on the cast of characters who passed …

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