Category: Educator
-
Teaching AP Literature
An English teacher’s dream: a class size of 11, a group of students that love reading, critical thinkers that analyze and write well, unstructured discussions that delve below the literal level of a text. The students did the reading, came to class prepared, were positive about the workload, and showed engagement throughout the year. I…
-
Octavia Butler
Little did I know all that would change when my friend handed me a book and said, “You need to read this.” The book was Wild Seed by Octavia Butler. Over the next 12 years, I slowly made the acquaintance of the African American lady who wrote fiction of a sort I had never encountered…
-
Who Needs Shakespeare?
“Who needs Shakespeare? I’ve gotten along just fine until now without him, and suddenly, at 18, I’m supposed to care about some English guy who wrote about a Scottish guy who wants to be king?” Of course I’d heard of William Shakespeare before then, but somehow I’d escaped having to read any of his work…
-
Hogwarts is Not a Good School
Having recently finished rereading Rowling’s series for about the tenth time, I’ve once again fallen in love with her intricate world, her lovable characters, and the sheer brilliance of her writing. Yet as a teacher, I can’t help but notice some of the issues at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Class sizes and schedules…
-
Thank You, Awesome Teachers
What a blessing it is to have an awesome teacher. My schooling was riddled with fantastic teachers that I enjoyed and appreciated at the time, but it isn’t until many years later, now myself a teacher, that I truly recognize the impact they had on me. Let’s be honest, I don’t think a single one…
-
Read What You Disagree With
A number of years ago, I ran across an article that confirmed a few unformed ideas that had been floating around in my mind. “Why You Should Read Books You Hate” by Pamela Paul solidified a concept that I’d loosely held for some time. I should not simply read books, articles, essays, poetry, etc. that…