Mary Beth earned her undergraduate degree in education at Northern Illinois University and has taught 7th-grade language arts and social studies, as well as 4th, 5th, 6th, grade mainstream classrooms that included ELL students. After obtaining her Masters of Educational Administration degree from Roosevelt University, she went on to become Nationally Board Certified in Early Adolescent English. After a two year leave from education to serve as an editor of the National Social Studies series for Scott Foresman(Pearson Publishing), she decided that chalk dust was in her blood, and she returned to the classroom. During the past seventeen years, she has worked full time in the professional development of teachers, both online and face-to-face. She completed her Doctorate in Education from Walden University (Ed. D) in 2009. Along with the love of teaching literacy, writing and reading, Mary Beth also enjoys writing. Some of her publications include: Every Student Learns (Pearson Education Publishing) focusing on skills needed for ELL elementary learners who are learning how to comprehend the linguistic and paralinguistic features of the English language. ELL Companion Textbooks for Guided Reading Program, Rigby Publishing that address developmental, social, political and cultural contexts of students’ lives and educational experiences. Constructivist Online Environments: A Case Study Using Adult Students with Learning Disabilities Pursuing a Higher Education Degree In addition to teaching teachers, Mary Beth specializes in tutoring juniors in high school test taking preparation and reading strategies for the ACT college entrance exam. Recently, she has begun tutoring high school students in Study Skills. She feels the one on one experience with students is valuable and a nice combination with her online teaching career. Mary Beth lives in the Chicago area with her husband and her son, daughter, and son-in-law.
Teaching Interests: Reading, Reading Strategies, Grammar, Speed Reading Strategies, Writing, Public Speaking, Test taking strategies.
Professional Interests: Latest reading strategies for struggling readers, new methods to help students write at a scholarly level, working with children who have learning disabilities.