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9. Sarah Trenholme - OG in Nova Scotia · Learn Literacy Podcast

• Cheryl Urbanczyk: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the Learn Literacy podcast. Today there is a practitioner profile and I'm very excited to have Sarah Trenholm who's here from Nova Scotia she is doing some great work there supporting students ⁓ I look forward to hearing about her OG journey and what she does. So welcome Sarah, thanks for being here today. Sarah Trenholm: Thank you for the invitation. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Oh, you're welcome. It's really exciting to hear about OG in different parts of Canada. So I'm based in the Toronto area and people might not think Nova Scotia when OG is mentioned. So why don't you first start telling us how you learned about OG and what your training was like or your OG journey. Sarah Trenholm: So when I first started my teaching career, I started in ⁓ New Brunswick. ⁓ when I first started, ⁓ I first heard about Orton Gillingham ⁓ when I met a school who was doing the assessments at my school. ⁓ And told me about Orton Gillingham. And I like, what is this Orton Gillingham? So that's when I first started to hear about it. he... ⁓ He thought it was the gospel. He said it was amazing. It's ⁓ a really good intervention. Yeah. So anyway, that was the first time I heard about it. But then in the last six years, I have moved to rural Nova Scotia ⁓ is a nonprofit in the area that ⁓ trains, they train associates. So you have a fellow who trains associates, but Cheryl Urbanczyk: We have to know how he knew about it. Mm-hmm. Sarah Trenholm: What you need to do is you need to be give them the hours and they'll provide the training. ⁓ I am a learning disability support teacher in rural Nova Scotia. ⁓ so ⁓ said, I want this training myself. So ⁓ there's not a lot of people who ⁓ use this in the public school system. So I'm a rarity, I believe. ⁓ so what I did is I went online and I found the Orton Gillingham Academy site. Cheryl Urbanczyk: amazing. Sarah Trenholm: and I actually found the different sites and of course being in rural Nova Scotia and not many certifications around, I found Learn Literacy and that's how I found you. So you are my fellow, we'll talk about that in a minute. But anyway, so I needed something online. I took the classes online. So that's how it started. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, exciting. Yeah. That's good. you've had quite a journey and congratulations on your acceptance at the associate level. That's a real accomplishment. ⁓ And so how you find ⁓ the practicum process terms of your learning and ⁓ you did? ⁓ support of the Sarah Trenholm: Thank you. So I found it very intensive, there's no question. ⁓ I found, well, and the person that I had was very supportive and the family was very supportive and you were very supportive. ⁓ learning about, so basically what it was is it was 10 observations and it was 10 lesson plans submitted. Obviously it was a hundred hours. But what I found, it was very fulfilling and very Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Mm-mm. Mm-hmm. Sarah Trenholm: mind opening. it's, it was just, it was a great experience. it was a long journey cause there was, it was a long time cause a hundred hours and how it works is it has to be two hours minimum a week. well, 40 to 40 minutes to an hour. So I found it, long and I don't mean that in it's just intensive, but it was eye openings. It was awesome. Yeah. And it Cheryl Urbanczyk: Yeah. That's good. Sarah Trenholm: And what I liked about it was the progress that I saw the person that I was working with, my student, and that was amazing. So was like you could see the aha moments and. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Right. But great that you saw the progress in your student, but you I saw the progress in you and I hope you were able to see that too because sometimes we don't see that about ourselves. Sarah Trenholm: Yes, it was, yes, it was, it's almost like it was a, what am I trying to say? It was a fulfillment of me because I could see the progress that he was making and like he did the work, but we did it together and he, yeah, it was great. Cheryl Urbanczyk: ⁓ exciting. So how is that kind of translated into your role? You said there's not many people with OG training in the school systems around where you are. So how are you able to use that to support students? Sarah Trenholm: Yeah, so I was telling you about that nonprofit that was doing the tutoring. And of course, that was after school and in the evenings. There isn't a lot of Orton-Gillingham teachers in the public school system. I'm sure that there are trained Orton-Gillingham teachers and they probably use it. But I have I mentioned it to my the principals that I have. I'm on a circuit of schools because I have a specialist position. I am on a circuit of schools. So I spoke to the principals. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Thank ⁓ Sarah Trenholm: and they were very supportive. They were like, do what you got to do. so for a teacher to be able to do the one-to-one instruction with certain students in the run of a week is a blessing. And so that's how that's how it happens. So I do it in my school and I do the one-to-one as it is, built. And how I do it is because I have very supportive administration. Cheryl Urbanczyk: amazing, because it's kind of a rarity to get even blocks of time ⁓ to one consistently, week week with kids. So many kids are on your caseload that you do one to one with? Sarah Trenholm: ⁓ yeah, so I would say it ranges between four and five. But that doesn't mean, I mean, there's a lot more than that on my caseload for sure. But yeah, yeah. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. And what are you seeing in terms of, let's say, how those students ⁓ OG or the learning and are able to kind of transfer that back to like their other lessons and Because sometimes I wonder like, OK, we give these lessons to students and it's kind of a very controlled setting, ⁓ but then has to transfer over to their schoolwork and other learning. How are you finding that? Sarah Trenholm: So I see the see and notice in them. if they're like, if they're reading, they're reading obviously, ⁓ but do you where I noticed the most is the functional literacy in their everyday lives. Like, yes. And, and, and I've had the parents say, ⁓ my goodness, I, I see such a difference, ⁓ but keep in mind the that, the thing that other teachers and the student themselves ⁓ and home life. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Ooh, exciting. Yeah. ⁓ Really? Mm-hmm. Sarah Trenholm: is that it takes a while, like it's a progression, right? Like you can't just say, it's six weeks and ⁓ all of a sudden they're reading three levels higher, ⁓ happen. So I see it in the independents based in their work in all subjects. I it in the parents' stories, what they say, ⁓ but is really neat is the functional literacy. Like one thing that's unique about my role is that I'm working with Cheryl Urbanczyk: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Sarah Trenholm: a hot, an older level. Like I, I, I work with kids right up from like grade four up to grade 12. But my, my intervention focus is usually from like grade four to grade nine. And so where my role is different is because of the schools that I'm at, ⁓ a lot of the support is given at the middle school level. I'm working with students that hadn't had the support earlier on. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Okay. ⁓ Mm. Mm-hmm. Sarah Trenholm: And so when I say the functional literacy, I'm talking about a kid who says, Mrs. Trenum, I can read my text messages, text messages now. know, like, so it's, mm-hmm, yeah. So, and I, and I want to be clear when I say that they didn't get the support that they needed, doesn't mean that the teachers weren't doing what they, did their best. Like I, yeah. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. ⁓ wow. Yeah. That's a big deal for kids. Amazing. ⁓ I know that. Yeah, it's, know sometimes that the intention is there, sometimes supports training, all these other things. It's a everywhere, I think. So ⁓ and so when you're with kids in that age group, what do you ⁓ Sarah Trenholm: Yeah, yeah. Cheryl Urbanczyk: having to do extra to deal with kind of the social emotional aspect of learning at that age. I think usually there's kind of more pent up emotional frustration and sometimes harder to engage with them. So ⁓ do you ⁓ students that way? Sarah Trenholm: So the first thing is it's all about relationship. It starts with relationship. So when I setting up, it starts from making sure that the room is private so that nobody comes in. Do you know what I'm saying? Like creating a safe environment that's comfortable for them. Keep in mind, a lot of these students I've worked with over years, so the rapport is there. ⁓ Obviously, trying to, as you know, when you're developing your lesson plan, ⁓ Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. you. Sarah Trenholm: you're trying to do things that are ⁓ age appropriate. So, ⁓ if student likes narratives, well, obviously going to try and pick narratives that are appropriate for their age. And reading the room, there's then you move on to something else or you say, okay, that's enough for today. Obviously you want to get through the components of the lesson, but, ⁓ when you read ⁓ the Cheryl Urbanczyk: right. Mm-hmm. Sarah Trenholm: trying to think of the word, what's the word? ⁓ code of ethics or whatever, when you're looking at the outline of the program, when ⁓ emotional sound of the lesson didn't make any sense until you were in it. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Well, that's just it. I think we have, most teachers kind of have a sick sense about it. But, when you're working with kids who are already vulnerable, right, and have experienced a lot of failure, it takes on a completely different shade of meaning. And then sometimes we're so much in the Russia, well, we need to teach fast because they need to make up so many gains, right, to get to grade level. And ⁓ it's almost opposite. It's like the slower we go, the faster can go. ⁓ Sarah Trenholm: Yes. Yeah. another thing that I find is important when they... So obviously you want to be emotionally sound, the lesson to be emotionally sound and comfortable of the wellness of them. Really celebrating the victories when they say to you, I'm getting this. I'm starting to recognize. And even when they correct other people, ⁓ it's funny. And I know that like... ⁓ Cheryl Urbanczyk: Thank Amazing! Yeah! Uh-huh. Sarah Trenholm: Anyway, and they've even caught me on my mistakes and I'm like, yep, you got bragging rights today. That's absolutely right. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Yeah, but it's, it might seem a small thing, but for them, it's such a big thing, that they process the learning, they can speak it and get it out and share it. And ⁓ notice things is like so empowering for them. And I think that kind of speaks to a lot of what we're trying to do is empower them. Sarah Trenholm: Yes. Cheryl Urbanczyk: with the strategies and the literacy skills so that they can do their thing. So, yeah. Sarah Trenholm: Yeah, absolutely. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Okay. Do you have any ⁓ meaningful OG stories to share? You've mentioned a couple students. Is there a particular anecdote maybe that comes to mind? Sarah Trenholm: Well, there was a, ⁓ I a parent was telling me that they were doing, I can't remember if it was a road trip or a game or something, and they were playing the game. and she she cried when she had had their child read the cards to the game and just, I just, ⁓ yeah. So there are many, there are so many little moments that, between either the parents saying how appreciative they are. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Sarah Trenholm: and and them saying to me like there's just too many to mention but that was one one that really hit home. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Right. and ⁓ That's wonderful. Yeah, the impact is there. I think, maybe if you're a parent or a teacher, and you're used to seeing kids read in sort of a neurotypical fashion, it's kind of, I don't want to say they can't understand it just is, ⁓ it's so powerful. remember, for example, my daughter and learning to read and her journey and when they can get it, it's like, ⁓ my gosh, it's like amazing. And to have a hand in that's great. Sarah Trenholm: Yeah, and we were talking about my own journey. I've been a, in New Brunswick, they would call it resource teacher, in Nova Scotia, they call it in different parts of the province, they might call it learning support teacher, resource teacher. And mine's mine specific to learning disability students, learning difference, however you like to say it. But when I was in New Brunswick, and I had students that might be on IPPs, and I wanted to teach them to read, Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Sarah Trenholm: Now that I have Orton Gillingham, I feel like I didn't give my best to those kids because it's just, I finally feel confident that I can teach a student to read. ⁓ know that sounds crazy, but I guess it's my own confidence too, ⁓ what a scope and sequence is and how things are built upon that. And the really knowing that if you're on one thing and they're not ready, you can't move on. And that's where people need to understand that it takes the time. Cheryl Urbanczyk: ⁓ yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Sarah Trenholm: Right? And it takes the one-to-one and it's just like, ⁓ anyway, just, it's been eye-opening for me and a confidence builder for me where I feel confident in helping them. Cheryl Urbanczyk: It really takes the time. Yeah. Right. Well, thanks for being vulnerable and sharing that. I think, speaking for myself, I didn't know any of this either until I took OG and then more structured literacy, studying. I'm always learning something. It never ends. then working with students, you develop your skills. ⁓ it's amazing to see what the process can do. And the OG approach is powerful that way. ⁓ Sarah Trenholm: Yeah. And our school system is our province is more onto the science of reading. ⁓ we use UFLY and we're starting to use Wilson's training. And I know that a lot of those are based on the Orton-Gillingham, which is really exciting too. ⁓ I don't claim to know all about it, but... Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Okay. ⁓ Mm hmm. Yeah. Nobody does because there's always something we can learn. So in terms of, let's say challenges or roadblocks for your OG practice or what are you of seeing in terms of the landscape that way and ⁓ trying to get done work that you want to do? Sarah Trenholm: Yep. Well, I know that, I don't know if I should share this, ⁓ about I to redo some lesson plans for my Orton Galingham practicum, I don't know. It ⁓ started with a profile that was accepted, and then I had to do a couple more lesson plans, which ⁓ from my is a blessing from the academy, and I was able to do it, and so here I am. So ⁓ getting the certification was a ⁓ validation for ⁓ Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Exactly. Sarah Trenholm: But don't know if I will do private tutoring on my own. ⁓ don't know where the future lays on that, but continuing to do it in the school system and that there's so many kids could benefit from it. And there's only in my scope of there's only one of me and I wish I could help ⁓ so many Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, and you're lucky that you're in a place that has one of you. Because many places don't even have one person that can do that kind of one-on-one support. And you're really working in a critical age group. mean, what do do in high school if you don't have literacy skills? Assistive technology can only get so far. then, ⁓ that's... Sarah Trenholm: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Cheryl Urbanczyk: kind of, we're missing the assistive part of assistive technology if we're just giving that in lieu of instruction, I believe. ⁓ Sarah Trenholm: Yeah, I think that would, I would say, and once they get to grade nine, I mean, that's it. They're not gonna sit. I mean, they might, I shouldn't say that. If a student is motivated and the maturity is there to say, ⁓ yes, I need this, but to them before it gets to that point, but also ⁓ the time to be able to support. I mean, there's so many out there that I would love to be able to, but, but. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Sarah Trenholm: The really encouraging thing is that they're doing things earlier now. They're using the UFLY and they're using the Wilsons and everything. Cheryl Urbanczyk: ⁓ Right. hmm. Yeah. Now, are you having to do like screening at all in Nova Scotia? Because I know in the States and Ontario, we're early literacy screening to check skills from K to two. Are you doing anything like that in Nova Scotia? ⁓ Sarah Trenholm: ⁓ yeah, have, they do those. So I'm do like pre, I think it's three years old. And then they would have pre-screening at kindergarten. Then as they go along and they have literacy mentors at, ⁓ at all grade levels. So, yep. Yep. They're getting, moving away from the, from the, from the running records and doing other things like the core phonics and yeah. Yep. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's neat. Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. Okay. So what are, urgent concerns ⁓ or hot issues that you kind of see in your work, your OG work with students or your literacy support? Sarah Trenholm: hot button. know people really see the value of it and I don't mean that in a a vanity kind of way or whatever but just ⁓ Cheryl Urbanczyk: agree with you there. It's like we have to be good salesmen for salespeople for ⁓ and yeah. Sarah Trenholm: Yeah, I would say maybe having people support you in the time that it takes. ⁓ I don't know, guess that's ⁓ I don't need to validate I do, because the proof is in the pudding, the proof is in the support, ⁓ but the time that it to. ⁓ Yeah, so ⁓ I don't know if that your question, but it's kind of finding the value in it. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Right. Mm-hmm. I can can understand you're coming from. And I think what ⁓ what your setup is sounds quite rare, because don't know of too many places, like in any place in Ontario, really, that has that just works one to one with students like that on anything. Sarah Trenholm: Yeah. Cheryl Urbanczyk: because usually it's a group or it's a program and you have to follow the program. And there's plus and minuses to programs. I'm not putting those down. But when you have like OG that's so individualized and follows specifically to the student profile and what they're showing about their learning, moving at the speed of their learning. ⁓ It's a unique way of using time in a public system that's not often there. Sarah Trenholm: Well, yeah, a lot of my lesson planning is when I'm eating my lunch so that I can get ready for the next kiddo and, yeah, just. Yeah, I am in a very unique situation and I'm very thankful that I have the support. So I also do classroom support. I also do assessment. I but I wouldn't it. ⁓ This is my retirement job. I'm right. I'm, settled. ⁓ I hope they don't take it away because is what I, this is where I want to be. ⁓ Cheryl Urbanczyk: Yeah. ⁓ Listen. Yeah, well you have such a skill set for it for sure. Like I've seen the work that you've done and it's amazing and they're very lucky to have you and I hope by them seeing how this model works they would be keen to ⁓ try add more people or replicate it because ⁓ the we can catch kids in that crucial age group before high school it would be amazing. Like would be so good. Sarah Trenholm: Absolutely. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Yeah. ⁓ would you like to learn more about in terms of literacy support? I know you have a wealth of experience from your job. You took your OG training. Is there an area that you want to continue learning about and, boosting up your skill Sarah Trenholm: Absolutely. So I know that you have your associates training, which allows you to do ⁓ individual. But then you also have, and I'm not saying I'm going to go on to be a fellow, it be really, ⁓ so done, ⁓ so only have a certain scope and sequence when you first start with your associates level. So you have ⁓ this of knowledge, this much knowledge. And then, but I really love, I would really love to learn how to do. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Yeah, exactly. ⁓ Mm-hmm. Sarah Trenholm: more like the higher language and the higher reading and decoding and encoding for like and more about morphology and being able to make it more, I would love to be able to do something with classroom teachers. Maybe there's a ⁓ university that's close to me that maybe a teacher of teachers someday. ⁓ Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. it. Mm-hmm. ⁓ exciting. Yeah. Sarah Trenholm: And it would be really, really awesome to be able to bring the OG into that. Cause I would be teaching public school, public teachers, public school teachers. ⁓ do I have dreams and hopes? Absolutely. If I, it's all a, ⁓ all matter of time and, and, ⁓ funding and all that. So I'd love to learn more so that, if you're in a, if you're in a lesson with a kid, with a student and. know, like a that like. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right. Mm-hmm. Sarah Trenholm: Okay, I'd love to know that. ⁓ The higher order, the higher the higher language things, Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm-hmm. Yeah, think especially because you teach older students that they need same skills, but sometimes you can access them through more content rich words and like words that are more suited to their intellectual level than like, know, snail and train and you know what I mean, that kind of thing. And then it brings in Sarah Trenholm: Yes. Yeah. Cheryl Urbanczyk: maybe more of a fascination for them that, I'm not working on like little kid stuff for like the five millionth time trying to, ⁓ learn same battle theme that didn't work the first 10 times I learned it. yeah. ⁓ Sarah Trenholm: Yes, yes. Yes, Fortnite and knowing it's N-I-T-E and not N-I-G-H. Absolutely, yeah, yeah. So yeah, the more knowledge I learned, the more it helps them and that's really the goal. And if there's an opportunity for more learning in the future, I'm all for it. Yeah. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Yeah. That's funny. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. no, I think I'm really into morphology myself and there's always some word I'm looking up or some something I'm trying to figure out because the number of words is endless and there's no way to know it all but we work on it. So ⁓ Sarah Trenholm: Yeah. And there's that thing where you say, ⁓ it's an old English unit. And then you have the exception of the English language where there's always an exception. And they just kind of look at you and roll their eyes and say, another one. ⁓ Cheryl Urbanczyk: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. kind of neat, though, that they can get that and understand that. And I think we kind of in many ways underestimate students. Like even you mentioned the game Fortnite. I'm ⁓ advocating Fortnite, but like I'm using that as an example of a complex system that they can navigate and understand the rules of, but yet we think them understanding of the structure of the language is too hard, you know? But no, if you understand the structure and how things work, you can navigate that system for reading and writing, and it's very helpful. yeah. So we've talked about quite a few things. Is there anything else on your mind about OG that you'd like to share before we wrap up today? Sarah Trenholm: just think somebody I think one of things would be if you add are you going to ask me about piece of advice to someone? Cheryl Urbanczyk: ⁓ yes, I'll get to that too. Or you can share a piece of advice now. It's okay. Sarah Trenholm: Okay. No, that's okay. You can ask me the question. ⁓ Yeah, you can just ask me that and then I'll answer. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Okay. Okay, all right. So yeah, I always wrap up by asking about a piece of advice that you want to feed forward to others or maybe something that you would have appreciated hearing at the beginning of your OG journey. Open floor. Sarah Trenholm: Yeah, so I would say if somebody gets discouraged, I would say keep going because the fruit of your labor will be amazing. When you hear those, when you see the fruit and when you hear them share, I get it. Keep going. It's an intensive, it's intensive training, but it's because it works. And so don't give up and keep going. That's what I would say. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, exactly. Sarah Trenholm: to anybody that is learning, go on this route. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Mm hmm. Mm hmm. ⁓ that's awesome. And that's so true because sometimes, everyone who does this ⁓ kind does it on top of their other life stuff. So it's, rarely like the only thing that they're doing. Many are teaching or moms or dads or I mean, jobs. ⁓ And it's it's worth the effort sure. ⁓ And ⁓ I one of the neat things about working through the hundred lessons ⁓ is it takes that amount of time to kind of get it. You know what I mean? It's one thing to see things and take it in the training, but you yourself implementing that through that time over. Sarah Trenholm: Mm-hmm. Cheryl Urbanczyk: know, the skills in the scope and sequence, like builds up your skill set to enable you to be the great practitioner that you are. So, yeah. Sarah Trenholm: well, I did the hundred hours and then I needed to do a couple more lessons. And it's amazing to see the things I never knew before. And it was, it was through time that had passed and you have more students that you've worked with and it absolutely is. It's, yeah. Cheryl Urbanczyk: you Mm. Yeah. ⁓ Well, awesome, Sarah. Thank you for being with us today and sharing about your OG journey and the successes you've had with students. it sounds like you're making such a great impact. And Nova Scotia so lucky to have you being there to help students. So thank you very much. Sarah Trenholm: Well, thank you for your leadership and your help along the way as well. And thanks again for the invitation. Cheryl Urbanczyk: Anytime. Thank you. Sarah Trenholm: Okay, all right.