My name is Abby Ramos Stanutz. I’m a middle school Language Arts teacher of 15 years dedicated to keeping expectations high and class fun for all learners.
I’m currently available for consulting engagements, and have made my learning materials available publicly to share with other busy teachers.
I have been teaching Middle School Language Arts grades 6-8, GT, ESL, Reading Intervention, etc for the past 15 years across the state of Texas. I have spent all of my career on Title 1 campuses in Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. Until my most recent move, I was department manager for a decade and Team Lead before that. I have also worked in IB schools for over 10 years.
I take a modified approach to Readers Writers Workshop through the scope of IB units. I believe in free choice reading paired with rigorous mentor texts and high expectations for all students through differentiation and engaging content. I believe students should read, write, speak, and think critically everyday. However, most of all, I want to build life long readers and show each child how powerful their voice can be.
In addition to my teaching, I’ve also created, implemented, and led the following initiatives across multiple campuses.
GirlTalk
Girltalk develops relationships and builds a sisterhood when girls need them most: middle school, through weekly meetings where girls can share their hopes, dreams, and struggles while learning how to support each other and resolve conflict in healthy ways.
Family Literacy Events
I bring books and literacy into the home while building relationships within and outside a school family. My events are designed to foster an environment of mutual trust and support between the school and students’ families in areas with historically low involvement.
IB Units
I work to create critically thinking global IB learners in my Language and Literature class. I believe International Baccalaureate principals should be available to all students. I ask each learner to question the world around them while reading and thinking deeply around a variety of global texts.
Get Caught Reading
The Get Caught Reading campaign works to make reading something everyone on your campus wants to get “caught” doing. It adds a little spice to the school Book Week and reading events by celebrating the readers on campus in fun and innovative ways.
Bookfairies
Bookfairies works to make the campus book fairs more equitable and accessible to all readers on campus regardless of how much money they have to spend.
Build a Team of Readers
As a teacher leader, I work to assemble and empower a team of teachers who are versed in lesson writing, the standards, reading instruction, and young adult literature. I believe the best Language and Literature teachers are readers and writers themselves.