Marla is fascinated by virtually all subjects, but she is particularly dedicated to helping her students become thoughtful and engaged readers and writers. She is an expert on the canon of children’s and young adult literature, and her classroom culture is one in which genuine excitement about reading is a daily shared experience. She has visited the schools of Reggio Emilia as part of a summer institute and attended a conference led by Lucy Calkins, director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. Marla received her teacher training at Towson University and has taught at the elementary and preschool levels.