Zachary Hamby

I have been an English teacher for over a decade. I am the author of the Mythology for Teens and Reaching Olympus textbook series. I am also an illustrator. I have spoken at various English/Language Arts conferences about different ways to engage students in literature. I also maintain two websites: www.mythologyteacher.com and creativeenglishteacher.com During that time I have had many successes and failures in the classroom. My successes encouraged me, and my failures challenged me to become more creative. My ultimate goal has always been to increase student engagement by bringing literature to life. In this store you will find a variety of lesson ideas that worked for me. What I share here is what I use in my own classroom on a daily basis. I hope these ideas will find success in your classroom as well!

Creativity is not some secret skill that some have and others don’t. Creativity is simply a sustained effort toward an ideal. First, creative teachers imagine their ideal classroom. Then through trial and error, they discover ways to turn that ideal into a reality. Whatever doesn’t work gets thrown out. What does work gets duplicated and perfected. Keeping this process in mind, you can see that creativity is not some magical, lightning-strike moment with immediate results. It’s hard work! Yet, through this ongoing creative effort, teachers become active agents of change—creator-teachers who shape every facet of the learning experience.

2020 Missouri Teacher of the Year Finalist

Bachelor's Degree in English Education from Southwest Missouri State Master's Degree in English Education from Missouri State Specialist's Degree in Administration from University of Missouri

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