In general, what do you hope to get out of this grant program?
I love to learn and any opportunity to learn is something I seriously consider. For this particular grant program “America the Story Not Forgotten,” I see an opportunity to expand on my knowledge on United States History so that I can bring this knowledge into my classroom, especially my English 3 classroom which focuses on American Literature,and includes units on important historical public documents. For me, the engagement I want from my students happens when the literature and documents we study come to life and are relevant to their lives. I love structuring historical context into storytelling in order to engage students with the relevance of what they are reading and inspiring them to be active in their future civic duty.
Photos
What are you most proud of in your professional life so far?
There isn’t any singular moment I’m proud of in my professional career, but rather a series of moments that make me glow with pride. Those “aha” moments my students’ have when they gain a deeper understanding of a concept or idea is an amazing and meaningful moment. Seeing a student’s pride in their writing and growth is also something I am very proud of. I enjoy celebrating my students’ growth and successes.
What are your greatest strengths and your biggest weaknesses as an educator?
I am very knowledgeable in my English Language Arts content, especially in writing and coaching writing. I am a writer myself and use that experience to guide my students through the process and finding their voice.
I tend to struggle with pacing–sometimes this is intentional because my students are engaged and so we may spend more time on a lesson to dive deeper into that concept or material. Though, sometimes I get caught up on time and pacing because I lose track of time when I hyper focus because of my ADHD. I have started using timers to manage time on days where the hyper focus is engaged.
I would also like to highlight building relationships with my students as a strength. Building trust with my students is an essential component to helping them with writing and their writing process, given how vulnerable writing makes us. I write with my students, share my own work and process with them, and do my best to create a safe and encouraging environment where they can grow confident in their learning and writing abilities.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I love writing and I’m a member of a couple of professional writing circles, one of which is run by the ever eclectic and endearing performance poet Neil Hilborn. Hopefully I will be able to be active in the next season! I write poetry, short stories, fiction, and nonfiction. I like switching between genres and sharpening my writing process through experience and trying new things–especially writing challenges.
Typically when I am not writing, I am usually reading or listening to my favorite podcast “Women and Crime” hosted and written by Dr. Megan Sacks and Dr. Amy Schlossberg, as I have a keen interest in Criminal and Social Justice, and social reform.
Resources
Lesson Plan: Foundations and Manifesting Destiny ELA.E3.AOR.3.1
Analyze how the authors consider the needs of their community to build a foundation for societal expectations.
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Download Lesson Plan Notes
Annotated Handout: Declaration of Independence
Annotated Handout: Bill of Rights