Montessorian Poet Turned Special Ed Teacher!

Amari R.

I am a New Haven, Connecticut, educator and a nationally competitive spoken-word poet. With my skill set, I offer ELA support to developing readers (first through sixth grade) through UFLI and Amplify curriculum. I also offer essay writing and creative writing support to students (ninth through twelfth).

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in teaching English from the University of Connecticut. Currently, I am completing a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Western Governors University, specializing in Special Education (Mild to Moderate) K-12. During my graduate program, I have received recognition for my exemplary work in Educational Technology and Curriculum, Assessment, & Instruction courses.

My love of education began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when I became a special education instructional assistant. I sought to channel my natural expertise in explicit instruction and ABA methods into student-first education. For the past 4 years, I have been a Montessori classroom assistant, serving students aged 3 to 12. Through consistent professional development, observation, and feedback, I have discovered reading curricula that have shown strong results, such as combining UFLI and Amplify to support the principles of the science of reading. Overall, my career goal is to use my experience to help students develop a growth mindset and navigate the weeds of emotions to find solutions that lead to progress.

Since 2016, I have performed across the country in various national poetry invitationals, including the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational and Brave New Voices. Most recently, my fourth publication feature appears in Poetwry, a third installment of an anthology for Connecticut-based poets. You can find me listening to classic African-American literature audiobooks while crocheting.