Who I am
Hello! I am Tara Banton, and educator with 25 years of experience. I got into teaching for two reasons: 1) I love literature and the humanities (I'm a huge nerd), and 2) I believe that the key to healthy societies is healthy, educated people. I believe in the power of education to transform people from the inside out. In a time when education is attacked and dismissed, I still carry a torch for public education because the alternative - if we give up on public education - leads to a world I dare not define here (Dostoyevsky illustrates its dregs in Crime & Punishment).
My love of literature led to me applying for and accepting a position teaching senior English at a public high school in 2000. Soon, I would discover my greatest reason for teaching in my students. My students taught me that being a teacher is more than knowing content. Being a teacher means being a shepherd for both learning and personal growth as well as remaining forever a student of learning and life. Being a guide for young human beings is an amazing responsibility and challenge. It is also the most rewarding thing I could have chosen to do with my life.
I taught for 14 years:
English: freshman, sophomores, seniors (including Prep-AP and AP)
Humanities (the greatest course any student can take for empowering their understanding of the world and why we are where we are now)
Writing intervention for students writing on a 3rd to 5th grade level and who could not pass the state test
Credit recovery with some tough customers
I led teams as well as served as Department Chair of my English department
I have coached for 10+ years:
Basically, being an instructional coach means being a teacher to teachers even though I still consider myself a teacher.
I coach teachers in learning design and help teachers to learn how to teach in increasingly authentic ways. In addition to coaching, I have led many professional development trainings covering the essentials of project-based learning.
I have led countless writing trainings as well as coached individual teachers and teams of teachers in writing instructions. As a coach, I have been successful in aligning writing in English departments across the secondary schools in my district.
As a result of the success I have had with writing alignment, data is showing that the writing alignment and program is working. As a result, my district has decided to adopt my writing program, K-12 and across all disciplines as we make a push to write across the curriculum.
Over the years, I delivered many professional development trainings covering topics like differentiation, support for struggling learners, rubric development, rigor in the classroom, learning as an experience, and more.
In addition to coaching teachers, I coach students as a tutor and have been successful in helping many to accomplish their learning goals as well as required goals, including passing the state language arts test.
As a coach, my position requires the fulfillment of other major tasks, such as conference planning and implementation, curriculum writing, supporting PLCs, new professional orientations, beginning of year training, summer learning planning, and whatever instruction and professional development related tasks pop up in between.
I have tutored for 25 years:
For over two decades, I have worked one-on-one with individuals, from children to adults, to strengthen their writing as well as their confidence.
Most of my tutoring work has been with students who have particular challenges when it comes to learning and processing. In every case thus far, we have been successful in growing their abilities in writing and critical thinking.
Working one-on-one is a privilege and one of my greatest joys. I am always invested in my students’ growth of skills as well as helping them to feel good about their growth and abilities.
I have also spent much time helping students who are applying to college with writing their college essays.
Accomplishments:
Developed a method and philosophy for teaching writing that first aligned writing at the high school in our district and has now become the language of teaching writing in all of our middle schools. The philosophy is now making it into the elementaries.
Produced and Co-Organized five, licensed TEDx Events; editing for video submissions.
Worked with Vietnam Veterans on large-scale project involving students (multiple years).
I have written and self-published a couple of books (listed as Tara Banton on Amazon).
I am currently learning screen writing.
A legacy of students who have gone on to lead their lives full with opportunity to fulfill their potentials.
I bring into my teaching the range of what I have learned, including these highlights in my training:
Authentic Leaning Experiences (through Advanced Learning Partnerships)
PLC training (through Solution Tree)
Coaching teams training (through Solution Tree)
Dare to Lead (Train the Trainer; Brene Brown's conscious leadership training)
Advanced Placement Summer Institute + years of AP conferences
7 SXSW EDU Conferences (countless sessions), presenting at one
Over the years, I have delivered training across a wide range of topics:
Authentic Learning Experiences (teacher training, 2x per year for 6 years)
Teaching Writing with TDEC (have taught teachers and teams for over 10 years)
Transforming Writing with Process Revisions
3 Reads Reading Strategy
Gauging Learning with Rubrics
Upping the Learning: Portfolios and Projects Using Google Products
Team Leadership
Classroom Culture for New Teacher