Educator Profile    Educators

Biographical Information

Fifth-grade English Language Arts and Reading teacher Samatha Morgan is a leader in adopting new techniques for teaching reading skills—and achieving exemplary results for her students—at Clifton Elementary School.

Morgan’s understanding of the required standards and her deep store of instructional tools enable her to meet the needs of students across the spectrum of learning abilities, from struggling to highly gifted readers. Her student-centered classroom is a mix of a reading workshop and flipped classroom. Morgan uses a wide variety of proven, cutting-edge strategies to maximize instructional time and make learning fun and engaging, including iPad centers, student-led portfolios and conferences as well as extensive graphs to chart progress. Morgan teaches her students to be responsible for their learning while guiding them with expertise and caring.

Over 90% of her students are reported to achieve passing scores in Reading standards, and her students’ reading fluency often grows by as much as two grade levels while in her class.

Known on campus as “The Book Lady,” Morgan’s classroom library is constantly growing. Instilling a love and passion for reading in her students is a priority. She reads everything that her students read, and is always ready to recommend new books that fit each student’s interests and ability. Her warm relationship with students is evidence of her passion for her work, and students often maintain contact with her long after they have left her class.

Beyond the classroom, Morgan initiated and sponsored Student Council for fifth-graders and volunteered to serve as director of the high school theater production. Colleagues also benefit from her knowledge and leadership, routinely asking for advice on helping students with reading difficulties or instituting new instructional practices.

Since her award, Morgan has earned a masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction as well as in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.