About Malia Rubens
I am passionate about literacy—a motivating factor throughout my 20 years of teaching experience—and for the past 11 years, my role has been an Education Specialist working with neurodiverse learners. I am currently the English Language Arts (ELA) Coordinator at Sterne School, leading our intensive dyslexia intervention program, Sterne READS (Reading Education And Dyslexia Support).
As a certified Orton-Gillingham classroom teacher, I empower struggling students to work through their challenges and coach teachers on best practices in Structured Literacy.
SEEING DYSLEXIA AS A SUPERPOWER
“Start with strengths” is one of Sterne’s core values, and one that has been key in my approach to intervention. While students with dyslexia need intensive and structured literacy intervention to achieve success in reading and school, our program recognizes that these learners are not limited in their capacity to understand, process, and express sophisticated concepts. Dyslexia is not a bad word here at Sterne. We see it as a superpower and support our students in identifying those strengths they possess by being able to see a situation differently. Thus, Sterne READS was designed to be both individualized and inclusive.
Rather than using a pull-out model for support, Sterne READS is embedded in our lower and middle school ELA curriculum. Students participate in shared learning experiences like novels, workshops, and writing projects with their peers. This design provides individualized support while keeping students connected to their classmates, teachers, and grade-level curriculum. Because our classes use inclusive pedagogy, our students don’t miss out on the classes they love.
There is so much scientific neuro research today about how the brain learns to read. We blend these practices into games, repetition, and daily reading during our ELA periods. Every day, our students receive the specific, structured instruction that they need in decoding and spelling. Because of this integrated daily instruction, our students participate in all other electives, PE, and other areas of interest and strengths. They do not need to be pulled out. This helps them see their value in a place like school.
I love that I work in a place where I get to witness the dramatic change in how students feel about themselves and the school environment. I wholeheartedly believe that everyone deserves to read, think critically, and put their thoughts into words in a meaningful way. I am so proud that I get to work in an atmosphere that challenges kids to work through their struggles while celebrating their strengths.
Sterne School’s Mission
Sterne’s mission is to build on the foundation of individual strengths to discover and nurture each student’s version of greatness.
Sterne School
Grades 4 – 12
838 Kearny Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 922-6081 • https://www.sterneschool.org/
To learn more about Sterne School please click on this link: https://parentspress.com/schools/california/san-francisco/sterne-school/
About Leaders in Education
Leaders in Education is a special profile series from Parents Press, highlighting the vision, values, and leadership of heads of schools and key administrators across the Greater Bay Area. Through these features, we aim to give the community a deeper understanding of the people shaping children’s educational experiences.
