In the public eye: WPS instructional interventionist gives students confidence to succeed

Editor’s note: This is another in an ongoing series of Windham and Raymond town employee profiles.

By Ed Pierce

To say that Debbie Greenlaw is important to student success at Windham Primary School would be an understatement.

Debbie Greenlaw is the Literacy Instructional
Interventionist for first grade students at
Windham Primary School and she also
leads the school's Summer Technology
Programs and After school Clubs.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

As the Literacy Instructional Interventionist for first grade students at WPS, Greenlaw provides targeted support and individual or small group instruction to students who are struggling in literacy. She focuses on skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and writing, all while collaborating with teachers and monitoring a student’s progress.

Her work involves directly working with students who need extra support; designing and implementing targeted interventions based upon student needs and data; and delivering instruction to individual students or small groups, focusing on specific skills or areas of difficulty that students may encounter. While she tracks student progress, Greenlaw can make adjustments as needed, coordinate other school staff members for support and inventions, and keep parents informed about their child's progress and intervention strategies.

“I found my passion helping littles with their academic success,” she said.

It’s a huge responsibility but that’s not all Greenlaw does at the school.

She also leads the WPS Summer Technology Programs and coordinates the school’s After School Clubs.

“The online Summer Technology Programs are free to any student in our school,” Greenlaw said. “The programs are engaging and motivating for our learners. The programs help the students keep up with their learning through the summer.”

The WPS After School Clubs give students an opportunity to pursue their interests along with being involved with at least one club each session.

“We have two sessions starting at the end of January through May,” Greenlaw said. “All these clubs are free for our students to attend.

Usually there are 10 to 12 clubs offered each session, and each club has grade levels from K to 3, giving students more opportunities to participate in clubs.

“The teachers are wonderful with thinking of engaging fun clubs for the students to choose,” she said. "There is a lot of participation in the clubs, and we have the lottery system in place for choosing clubs. The lottery is the first choice of selections for the clubs. When possible, my goal is to have the students get their first choice, but sometimes certain circumstances prevent students from having their first choice. Then the students get their second or third choice. We have been able to have every student that signs up for a club participate in the sessions.”

She says that WPS teachers are the reason the school can keep having clubs for its students.

“They take their extra time to plan clubs that are motivating and promote social skills for the students,” Greenlaw said.

After-school clubs offer many benefits, including developing cognitive skills such as problem solving, teamwork, exploring interests, fostering friendships, and making learning fun, she said.

“I would not be able to lead or coordinate either the Summer Technology Programs, or the After School Clubs, without Dr. Kyle Rhoads, WPS principal,” Greenlaw said. “He is the person who initiated the Summer Technology Programs and After School Clubs for our students.”

Greenlaw has lived in Windham her entire life. When her children went off to college, she decided to go to college too.

“I went to Andover College with my daughter,” she said. “We graduated together. I have two associate of science degrees in Office Management and Paralegal Studies. Law was not for me. I knew I wanted to help children in some way.”

“I contacted the DOE and was told that I could apply for an educational technician certification with my college credits,” Greenlaw said. “I went back to college and got six more credits to become an Educational Technician III. It was the best decision I have ever made. Every day I am thankful for the Windham Primary School Community and the students.”

She started working at WPS as an Academic Support technician for grade K to 3 and that is close to what she does now as an instructional interventionist.

For Greenlaw, she says that her most memorable moments at WPS are when a student understands a strategy that she is teaching them as well as when the students then use that strategy to become a successful reader.

“In my opinion, the best thing about my job is the Windham Primary School Community and all the smiles on the students' faces every day,” she said. <