About Me

National Board Certified Teacher, Exceptional Needs Specialist

I’m a special education and English learner teacher who believes that strong instruction should be clear, accessible, and grounded in how students actually learn.

For more than a decade, my work has centered on supporting students with disabilities and multilingual learners—students who are often capable of far more than traditional instruction allows them to show. I design lessons with structure, visuals, and intentional scaffolds because I’ve seen how those elements create access, confidence, and growth.

I stepped away from blogging for several years to focus on family life and professional growth. During that time, I deepened my practice, refined my instructional decisions, and learned to prioritize what truly works in the classroom. I stopped chasing trends and started paying closer attention to student response, clarity of instruction, and sustainability—for both students and teachers.

That experience made me a stronger, more reflective educator.

In this blog space, I share my work not because I have all the answers, but because I’ve spent years testing, adjusting, and refining lessons with real students. I understand the demands teachers face, and I believe we deserve resources and strategies that respect our professionalism and our time.

My writing, blog, and instructional resources are an extension of my professional practice as an educator. They focus on general, research-aligned strategies that support multilingual and neurodivergent learners, including culturally and linguistically responsive instruction, UDL, SIOP, and is aligned to CCSS and PLUSS framework. All content is created on my personal time, is de-identified, and does not reference my school district, specific schools, students, or district materials. This work reflects my commitment to equity, access, and continuous professional learning while fully complying with district policies.

Additionally, this blog exists to support teachers beyond my own classroom. When teachers feel confident, supported, and equipped with tools that work, students benefit. That ripple effect matters.

Here, you’ll find:

- Classroom reflections rooted in real practice

- Instructional strategies for SPED and ELL learners

- Thoughtful use of tools, including AI, to support lesson planning

- Resources designed to be practical, flexible, and classroom-tested

I share what works so teachers don’t have to reinvent the wheel—and so more students can experience instruction that meets them where they are.

About My Assistant

Shiny, Maria's Artificial Intelligence teacher assistant.

Who is Shiny?

Meet "Shiny", my AI-supported planning assistant.

I use Shiny to help with tasks such as organizing ideas, drafting variations, simplifying language, and saving time during lesson preparation. Shiny does not replace professional judgment, instructional decision-making, or classroom experience.

All lessons and resources shared in this space are grounded in my direct teaching practice and are shaped by student response, reflection, and revision. Instructional choices—what to teach, how to teach it, and how it is scaffolded—remain teacher-driven and classroom-tested.

Shiny supports the process.
The teaching comes from my expertise and professional experience.

About This Blog

Welcome to Digital Anthology

Welcome! You’re in a space designed for teachers who support students with diverse learning and language needs. Here, you’ll find classroom-tested lessons, printables, activity sheets, and resources that I’ve created and refined through years of teaching SPED and ELL students. Everything shared here is meant to help teachers engage students, build skills, and make instruction meaningful and accessible.

This blog is also a reflection of my classroom practice. You’ll see posts about lesson planning, teaching strategies, and student reflections, as well as resources that illustrate how I scaffold learning, track progress, and celebrate student growth. My goal is to provide practical examples you can adapt in your own classroom, whether you’re a general educator, intervention specialist, or support provider.

For students and parents, this space offers transparency and collaboration. Students can view lessons, homework, rubrics, and presentations; parents can follow along and celebrate learning milestones; and members of a student’s support team—including intervention specialists, psychologists, and social workers—can see work in progress. This approach helps everyone collaborate and support each student’s growth effectively.

Finally, this blog also serves as an e-portfolio for my students. They select and publish pieces that showcase their best work, reflect on their learning, and share progress with teachers and parents. It’s a space to look back, celebrate achievements, and track growth over time.

Thank you for visiting! I hope you find inspiration, practical strategies, and ideas that make your classroom experience more effective and rewarding. I encourage you to follow along and leave a message—I love hearing from fellow educators and reflecting together on what works in the classroom.

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