Talented triple threat

UFT members at Harlem’s Urban Assembly School for Global Commerce couldn’t choose from among three co-teachers for the Excellence in Education Award, so they nominated the whole team.

The trio — Chapter Leader and English teacher Laura DeWitt, special education teacher Sharon Bryce-Munroe and English as a new language teacher Jeremy Ehrlich — this year all teach an 11th-grade class with six English language learners, eight special education students and a few students who are “on the cusp of being ready for Advanced Placement next year,” said DeWitt. The team has co-taught since 2022–23.

Speech therapist Lucas Tannous says students make huge leaps in ELA and ENL because the team ensures that students “don’t just read — they dissect and analyze literary elements, generate discussion and ask questions.

“These are exemplary educators and as a team, they work extremely well,” Tannous added.

When students work on writing assignments during class, the three co-teachers circulate and help where they’re needed. During lessons, DeWitt leads the class while Ehrlich models note-taking in the front of the room, and Bryce-Munroe manages student behavior.

The secret to working with a group of students that have diverse learning needs, the co-teachers say, is being on the same page. If a student needs help during class, any of the three will step in. Because they’ve worked together for four years, they assist students using the skills they’ve learned from one another.

Ehrlich translates assignments into Spanish for new students. As they become more fluent, he transitions to visuals or translated glossaries of key terms. During class read-alouds, he gathers multilingual learners for small group instruction, so they all get the chance to read aloud and improve their pronunciation.

For Bryce-Munroe, modifications include prompting and individual attention. “I give them the nudge they need,” she said, to support their conclusions with textual evidence. Bryce-Munroe also adds comments and questions to the text, prompting students’ analysis.

All three teachers say that the supports benefit all students, regardless of English fluency or special education needs.

“Students get the structures of support they need, but there’s not the stigma attached to it,” explained DeWitt.

The educators agree that their diversity of expertise mirrors the diversity in their classroom.

“I have students who have walked to this country and seen terrible things along the way,” reflected Ehrlich. “If everyone knew the effort these students made to be in school, they’d know there’s so much we can learn from these students.”