Literacy Coach grade k-2 at Lakeland Elementary in Baltimore, MD
Keyword: Literacy Instruction for Educators Focused on Collaboration, Phonics Across Languages, Phonological Awareness, Representation in Literacy, and the Lasting Impact of PD Abroad
My name is Liz Kaplan and I am a Literacy Coach for grades K-2 at Lakeland Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore, MD. I come from a family of educators and fell in love with teaching from the moment I first set foot in a classroom for my student teaching. I have been an educator in Baltimore for nearly a decade and started out as a third grade teacher. I am deeply committed to helping support literacy growth for our youngest learners. Early literacy is a critical component of education, and I am thrilled that my position as a Literacy Coach allows me to play an active role in promoting literacy skills and supporting teachers in their reading instruction.
Read more about Liz
I was fortunate to attend a bilingual elementary school as a child and became fluent in Spanish by the time I was in fifth grade. My elementary experience was a unique opportunity for me to learn about the world beyond my classroom walls through the experiences of my teachers, who were all from Spanish speaking countries. I continued to practice my Spanish and eventually attended Johns Hopkins University as an undergraduate to study Spanish and Latin American Studies. I deepened my understanding of Spanish language through study abroad in Spain during my junior year, but I always dreamed of traveling to Latin America.
I am an avid learner and traveler, so I love to spend my summers participating in the many incredible opportunities available to educators for travel and professional development. Summer professional development has taken me from China to Maine and has provided me with some of the most meaningful opportunities to hone my practice and expand my thinking. As soon as I heard about the Fulbright-Hays program in Peru, I knew that it was the perfect opportunity for me to increase my Spanish skills while immersing myself in a culture that is so fascinating to me.
Traveling to Peru during the summer of 2024 had a deep impact on my educational practice. I got to collaborate daily with educators who are passionate and enthusiastic about their work. I got to travel to historical sites that I had only seen in textbooks. I got to immerse myself in a language and culture that have impacted my life in ways that I never thought possible. I am so grateful for my summer in Peru and left feeling inspired to continue to commit myself to increasing literacy skills in Baltimore.
Outside of work, I love traveling, cooking, reading, running, and spending time outside with my Bernese Mountain Dogs–Poe and Hugo.