I have a wide range of experience in the classroom and have found over the years that I have a knack for creating curriculum. And I mean, really thought-provoking work that will inspire, not only your students, but you as well. All of these assignments, lessons, and units are perfect for Common Core Standards, but more importantly, Common Core or not, they focus on good teaching practices. I spent ten years working with the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, teaching everything from co-taught Special Education classes to Advanced Placement classes. In my experience, every child is special, and every child can learn; these lessons can be adapted for any level of classroom environment. You just need to be willing to give them a try :)
Teaching is a unique discipline, in that, there are so many different ways to approach the same idea or material. This, I believe, is one aspect of the field that lends itself to creativity and diversity. Anyone that is truly learning must be actively engaged in what they are studying or researching. As teachers, we must make a concerted effort to get out from behind our desks and communicate with our students, not just through lecturing, but also through creative curriculum. Students, often times, learn just as much from each other, as they do from teachers. An environment where students feel free to share their own ideas and also listen to the ideas of others, without criticism or judgement, will energize the classroom and generate great results. Teachers can electrify their working environment and create a totally dynamic space through their activities and lessons. We, as the experts in our field, should use our knowledge as a springboard for our students to leap from....
I am Advanced Placement Certified and have been nominated for several awards, but really it is the difference, I know, I have made in the classroom over the years that I think of when I consider what honors or awards I have received. As a teacher, like you I am sure, I have many watershed moments that come to mind over the years. In my early years of teaching, I discovered a 12th grade student in my 10th grade English class that could not read a word. Not because of lack of ability, but because he was passed along and passed along to become someone else's problem. I spent everyday for a year after school with him..... He came back to see me just a few years ago; he was in college for engineering, and he told me that I changed his life. He cried and thanked me; I got teary and told him the ability was there inside him all along; he just needed some help to get started. Whether it is the silent student in the back that suddenly asks a question, or the popular athlete that pairs up with the shy guy because he knows that in my class everyone is a star; there are big moments and little moments that I will never forget over the years. The children are our future. They are why I became a teacher.
B.A. English Language Arts from James Madison University w/ a minor in Political Science, 1995; M.A. British Literature Before 1660 from University of New Orleans; M.A. Classical Rhetoric from University of New Orleans, 2005
Hello there :) Just wanted to give a little additional info about myself. For starters, my name is Stephanie. I currently reside in New Orleans and have a beautiful son and loving husband. Some of my interests include tennis and the theater. I am very proud of the curriculum I have created over the last four years and excited that through this site, I can share it with all of you out there. I would like to say that, of course, this site is a work in progress.... Everyday, I add new material, but I am a little behind the curve right now. Meaning.... that I know that I am posting work that many of you have probably already covered for the year. When I decided to start this store, I began at the beginning. Right?? Isn't that where most people start? LOL.... Anyway, that is the way my brain organizes the work I have done, but I have decided I have to flash forward and start posting material for the second half of the year, and then go back to the beginning. Bear with me :) Eventually, it will all be available. And thanks for any and all support you can give, even if it is just a positive comment. Also, please feel free to contact me with any questions or observations you may have about anything posted in my store.
5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Higher Education, Adult Education, Homeschool, Not Grade Specific
English Language Arts, Creative Writing, Writing-Expository, Reading, Grammar, Spelling, Vocabulary, Arts & Music, Visual Arts, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, Drama, Literature, Short Stories, Writing, Reading Strategies, Writing-Essays, Poetry, Informational Text, Close Reading