Maria Nichols

Maria Nichols, MA, is a literacy staff developer in the San Diego Unified School District. An elementary school teacher for 16 years and a National Board Certified teacher, Ms. Nichols now supports teachers at all grade levels in urban elementary schools as they strengthen their content knowledge and instructional practice. She has worked as a demonstration and resource teacher in an elementary professional development site and has led workshops nationwide on literacy content and instruction. Ms. Nichols received the Outstanding Achievement in Literacy Award from the Greater San Diego Reading Council of the California Reading Association in 1998 and the Distinguished Elementary Educator of 2002 Award from the San Diego Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa. Her current focus is on classroom environments and instructional design that encourage students of all ages to use talk as a tool for developing comprehension.