I’m a tech-loving, high school English teacher whose mission is to help students rediscover their love of reading. Even after 25 years, I’m still passionate about the classroom–as both a teacher & a Lifelong Learner.
In many ways, teachers are coaches. And because I’ve been with the franchise twenty-five seasons (even though I’m only 25 😬), I’ve learned so much along the way. Here are five key plays that inform how I approach writing in the classroom.
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.
Once Shiny, New 2021 came onto the scene, most of us were more than ready to break free of 2020. Worst. Bait and Switch. Ever. And last year’s Creative Writing I & II students wrote the Dear John letters to make it official. Well,…
This school year already looks different than last year. We’re vaccinated and boostered. We’re in person. We’re in full, non-cohorted classrooms. We can attend extracurricular events without having to play Rock-Paper-Scissors with family members to see who gets The Lanyard That Gets You Through…
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…