In 1992, after a brief career as a reading teacher in an elementary school, I wrote a poem called “Independent Strategies,” which was published by the International Reading Association in the May 1993 issue of The Reading Teacher.

The concept was developed by Marie Clay of New Zealand, who made it clear that children have many different ways to learn to read independently. The poem unfolds from a child’s point of view. This piece has been republished several times in books on special education and reading and has been used in many a parent newsletter. After “Googling” the title, I found that it was even translated into Danish!

I think that independent strategies are a good thing, so I decided to adopt them as my business name for my editing/writing services, which enable me to be a happy adjunct instructor!