Spotlight Educator of the Month: Ms. Charline Rivera, Pre-Kindergarten PreSchool Disabled (PSD) Autism Educator
School: McKinley School in the Newark Public School District (New Jersey)
Charline Rivera is a Pre-Kindergarten PreSchool Disabled (PSD) Autism Educator at McKinley School in Newark, NJ. McKinley School is a part of Newark Public School District and its special education program is one of the largest in the district. Ms. Rivera uses RethinkEd in her classroom and is very excited to see that her students have progressed using the platform over the past year and a half.
At McKinley School, RethinkEd is a vital part of keeping track of several types of data. From pre-academic and academic data to behavioral supports, Rethink provides a variety of real time reports and supports, to assist educators in tailoring instructions for the individual child. Ms. Rivera works with Autism educators, therapists, resource teachers, and paraprofessionals to use Rethink to its fullest potential. One of her favorite aspects of the platform is the RethinkEd app which allows her to track data anywhere. Whether it’s during an extra-curricular activity, a school trip, on the playground, and/or in the classroom setting, data is collected and tracked throughout the academic school day. As a result, educators, case managers, and administrators can collect, view, and assess real time data. This data is then used to tailor lessons and tasks that meets the needs of the students and helps them achieve and master goals. By using this program, educators can collaborate and provide the same continuous support and targeted instruction to the individual student, regardless of whether the student is in a special activity class, therapy, or in a different classroom.
Rethink is a proven, essential tool for Ms. Rivera and her team. She credits their success to the online behavioral supports and training videos. These professional development and training series assist her team and truly help her students succeed. Rethink, “creates a platform area where everything is accessible and available not only for the student to succeed in their goal, but for the educator to carry out the lesson successfully and purposefully.” Over the past year, Ms. Rivera has seen a visible and analytical improvement in one of her students. Using Rethink, she was able to able to collect ABC data and frequencies. By using the data and graphs, they were able to identify the pattern and the antecedent to many of the student’s situations.
The platform, specifically the behavioral supports provided to assist the student, helped them to create a behavioral plan that fit his needs. Ms. Rivera is proud to say that “a year later, with the help of Rethink data and supports, the student has decreased self-injurious behaviors. Since the decrease in these challenging behaviors, he has been awarded Student of the Month, Perfect Attendance, and has achieved and surpassed many of his pre-academic goals to a level higher his current grade level.” With the Rethink program, Ms. Rivera and her team can assist the students to overcome many challenging behaviors.
Ms. Rivera is excited to continue to use the RethinkEd platform and watch her students’ continued success!
