Monthly Spotlight
Zoi A. Traga Philippakos
Describe your project:
Since 2020 I have had the privilege to collaborate with Denise Dean, East Tennessee Freedom Schools Executive Director, to incorporate phonics instruction to the Freedom Schools’ summer reading program. As part of this collaboration, I provided workshops to volunteers and personnel of the Freedom schools addressing assessment and instruction. In addition to phonics, I offered workshops on read-aloud procedures that complimented the structures they had in place and promoted note-taking, retelling, and summarizing for comprehension. This summer (2024) with Denise Dean we extended our collaboration working with middle schoolers on dialogic argumentation and on debate. I was excited to work with middle schoolers on argumentation and on processes of listening and responding to other people’s points. Further, Denise Dean was able to include students who have completed our reading courses as instructors for the phonics program. This was the first time and year this was done. However, there is a great benefit for both teacher candidates and learners from this partnership: UT teacher candidates support our community by working with students on with evidence-based practices, work with learners who benefit from such instruction, they better prepare themselves for the time they will work as in-service teachers, and develop a better understanding about the learners’ needs and the effects of summer loss in reading. Learners receive instruction from personnel who is well-prepared and well-aware on evidence-based instruction, compassionate, and passionate about literacy and reading. There are several benefits, and I sincerely hope we can have a stronger partnership and more teacher candidates collaborating with Freedom Schools moving forward.
What’s your why?
As a literacy faculty at UT, as an educator, and as a member of the Knoxville community I feel the need to contribute to the needs of my community. I am very fortunate to be able to collaborate with people like Denise Dean, who have sincerity in their passion for literacy for all, and contribute to the work of Freedom Schools by incorporating reading and writing practices that can affect learner’s reading and writing experiences and performance.
Important lesson learned for people who are doing this work.
Teacher candidates who participated in Freedom Schools this summer were excited to work with learners to conduct assessments, analyze them, and provide instruction. It was such a benefit to be able to apply what they learned in our literacy courses and impact students’ learning! Personally, as Zoi, I am always humbled by the work that all Freedom Schools members do, their commitment, and care for learners! It is a privilege to work with every single colleague from Freedom Schools and every learner. I also appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with Denise Dean who has a deep understanding of literacy practices and a commitment to change. I am excited for this long-term partnership, and I know that every year we are making great improvements.
Impact made on UT and the community.
Literacy and the ability to read and write is a right for all learners. For a learner to be a reader and writer they need to receive instruction that supports them in that trajectory. Our teacher candidates and graduates receive preparation that addresses the state standards, international standards of the profession, and have a strong understanding of content and pedagogy. Partnerships like the one with Freedom Schools allow our teacher candidates to contribute to the community, where they will later seek employment, and support learners who would benefit from evidence-based practices drawn from high-quality instructional material. As a faculty, I find that my role is to contribute to my community and make a difference. As a UT employee, it is my ethical obligation to contribute to the mission of my University to “advance the prosperity and well-being of communities through research, teaching, service, and engagement.” I am excited to share that I am not the only literacy faculty who feels this way, and we have a team of instructors and tenure-track faculty who share the same passion. Thank you to Sterge Botzakis, Samantha Cooper, Miranda Davis, and Amanda Hufstedler for their contributions in our teacher and graduate preparation and their commitment to literacy. I can see the impact of Freedom schools on learners’ literacy, and I hope we will have more teacher candidates working with students from Freedom schools not only in the summer but also across the year.