Aunty Marcella

Dr. Martha Marcella Joseph Watts, affectionately called "Aunty Marcella, is an English teacher, Literacy Coach, teacher trainer, and independent educational consultant. She is best known for her Writing to Respond (WTR) process—an approach for guiding students in writing beyond summarizing, and for providing support to students for improving their performance in reading and writing. She has published several educational resources to support implementation of the WTR process. These resources include books, workbooks, classroom charts, student and educator wheels. Her doctoral studies in teacher leadership with Walden university helped stir her passion for supporting students and schools in disadvantaged settings.

Dr. Watts’ newest work for children is fiction. The Adventures of Iyani, by Aunty Marcella, is a series set in the United Sates Virgin Islands where she studied, resided for 15 years, and earned the Heath Humanities Award for excellence in teaching the humanities. She is a native of the Commonwealth of Dominica, but resides in Florida.

In the first of the series, The Voyage West, Iyani the island iguana who is independent, adventurous, and known for handling adversity experiences an unexpected move. On a bright summer day, Iyani is not quite prepared for her day’s adventure. Readers will find out whether her ability to withstand tough times pulls her through.

The second book "The Incredible Beginning" will be in bookstores and on Amazon this spring.