St. Bonaventure University

Faculty


Voss, Sheri

  • Sheri Voss

  • ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT
    Graduate Literacy
    ACADEMIC SCHOOL
    School of Education

    TITLES/RESPONSIBILITIES
    Assistant Professor, Literacy
    CONTACT
    Office Phone: (716) 375-2368
    Send an email
    OFFICE
    Plassmann Hall B22
    COURSES TAUGHT
    ACADEMIC DEGREES
    OTHER EDUCATION
    PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
    ACCOMPLISHMENTS
    TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
    I'm a teacher educator who believes that modeling a blend of theories, methods, and strategies creates a balance in the classroom that gives prospective teachers a foundation on which to build their own teaching pedagogies.

    The mantras that I live by and share with literacy teacher candidates include, but are not limited to:
    • beginning with the end in mind
    • learning a child's strengths
    • reading aloud
    • thinking aloud
    • filling up every student's confidence tank.
    As teachers, we need to look for response over answers, give students authorship of their writing, and ownership of their learning. We need to give students voice and the opportunity to acquire new skills through gradual release models, designing instruction, collaborating with peers, and incorporating digital literacies along with multi-modalities.

    We need to hold our thinking, level playing fields, use games in learning, provide lifelines, do what good readers do: read widely; read deeply; read lightly; know that there are no "hard" words, only words that give us pause; write for a million reasons; and give rich meaningful feedback. Build a community of learners. 

    We also must be effective, metacognitive, flexible, reflective, and, most importantly, kind.  
    CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS/PROJECTS
    PERSONAL INTERESTS/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
    LINKS