about me.
I’m a tech-loving, high school English teacher whose mission is to help students rediscover their love of reading. Even after 26 years, I’m still passionate about the classroom–as both a teacher & a Lifelong Learner.
my approach to writing.
In many ways, teachers are like coaches. And because I’ve been with the franchise twenty-six seasons (even though I’m only 25 😬), I’ve learned so much along the way. Here are five of my key plays that inform how I approach writing in the classroom.
my pledge to students.
Before I can ask certain things from my students, I need to make some promises of my own. The first assignment every year begins with a pledge. I share my own list of commitments with the students, and then they publish their own pledge to me.
the gratitude project (2022).
Back in 2017, during Thanksgiving week, I began assigning what I lovingly call “The Gratitude Project.” Essentially, I forced my students–and myself–to reflect on the Good in our lives in the midst of all of the Bad. And it quickly became one of…
when numbahs don’t lie (2021-2).
Students can’t be reduced to a number. They can’t be defined by their results on a common assessment, reduced to where they fall on a state test, nor limited by their SAT/ACT scores. However, sometimes numbers don’t lie. With a towering goal of helping students fall…
the myth of the working (teacher) mom.
I beat myself up. A lot. Like a lot a lot. I know I’m not alone–especially for those of us who are juggling responsibilities at home AND at school. Whether we’re raising babies or tolerating teenagers or caring for elderly parents or working second…
WHERE OTHERS GO
THE LIFELONG LEARNER 