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Teacher Fellow Cohort Spotlight: Get to know the Midwestern and Southern Fellows!

Langley Leverett  //  Jan 23, 2023

Teacher Fellow Cohort Spotlight: Get to know the Midwestern and Southern Fellows!

In this second installment of our Teacher Fellow Cohort Spotlight series, we are highlighting fellows from the Midwest and the South. Read more below to get a glimpse of how these educators are paving the way to greater cross-collaboration and how their expertise will help Scholastic in developing materials that better support students and families.

Comprised of 12 high-performing K-8 teachers from across the U.S., this team of teachers will collaborate with Scholastic Education Solutions’ product development, research and publishing teams across the school year, offering a direct pathway to their diverse expertise and the real-time experiences of their classrooms while providing the teachers with unique professional development opportunities. For more information about the Teacher Fellow Cohort, please visit this announcement post.

We are pleased to introduce Christina, Annikah, Tierra, and Dorita!

Christina Landburg, Carthage, MO

  • Grade 4 Teacher, Christina Landburg, is from Carthage, MO, and teaches at Carthage Intermediate Center. As an experienced elementary teacher, Landburg serves as fourth grade level cochair, fourth grade ELA curriculum team leader, is on the building guiding coalition team, and is the building website administrator. In 2017, she received the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce Golden Apple Teacher of the Year.
  •  With a demonstrated experience of working to meet student needs, Landburg is thrilled to join the Teacher Fellow Cohort and understands the power of setting each student up for success.

Annikah Moaratty, San Antonio, TX

  • San Antonio, TX, native and grade 2 teacher, Annikah Moaratty, works at Royal Academy of Excellence. Moaratty enjoys utilizing a variety of learning methods to empower students to reach their full potential and provides students with a variety of project-based learning activities.
  • She enjoys mentoring other teachers and hopes to grow within the Teacher Fellow Cohort through cross-communication and problem solving with the broader team.

Tierra Pitchford, Round Rock, TX

  • Grade 1 Teacher, Tierra Pitchford, joins the Teacher Fellow Cohort from Round Rock, TX. Pitchord works at Caldwell Elementary School and serves on the Instructional Leadership Team at her campus and the District Academic Advisory Committee as her campus representative. She also is the grade level lead and the English Language Arts Professional Learning Community Lead. In the 2020-2021 School Year, Tierra won Teacher of the Year for her campus.
  • She has a passion for teaching students how to learn and grow as readers. Pitchford is excited to learn more about ongoing research within the educational community and carry new materials into her career.

Dorita Barr, Kansas City, MO

  • Grade 6-8 Reading Specialist and Instructional Coach, Dorita Barr, works at Crossroads Preparatory Academy in Kansas City, MO, and has the privilege of coaching the ELA teachers at her campus on the best instructional practices to accelerate literacy and learning for students.  Barr is also a 2021 recipient of Teach For America’s Green Fellowship.
  • Dorita uses storytelling and personal experience as her personal teaching pedagogy and is excited to join the Teacher Fellow Cohort and lend her expertise to ensure that educators have the resources they need to thrive.

To stay up to date on the Teacher Fellow Cohort and similar programs, follow @ScholasticEd on Twitter and visit the Scholastic Education Solutions homepage!