Photo by Tony Lewis, Jr.
Wye River Upper School, Centreville
Years Teaching Overall: 4
Years Teaching at Wye River: 4
Currently teaching: 9th–12th grade English
Proudest teaching moment: “Several of my students are dyslexic or have to work with a language based learning difference. I love to watch them discover that they are writers and that free verse poetry allows them to become artists of the written word. Many times words have long been a struggle or a source of frustration, so my goal is always to find ways for them to reconcile those feelings, express their creative thoughts, and appreciate literature. It’s also wonderful to watch a student find an author or novel that they connect with and to hear them tell me that they enjoyed a book and completed the process of reading it actively and analytically. That’s a huge undertaking for some of my students. I have others who need very little support, but rather, simply, exposure to ideas and seeds of interest. Often, they will create a research project and presentation that is more innovative and creative than anything I could outline for them. I’m always proud when they dive into an assignment with such passion and enthusiasm that they create something amazing and in turn, teach me.”
Teaching Philosophy: “I tell them that their words are more important than mine, and my goal is for them to take ownership of their education and find their voice. I’m fortunate to teach in a school where I have a lot of creative freedom to individualize instruction based on my students’ needs and interests. I can ask them what they want to read and what their interests are and then work ELA standards into skills and projects that are student-driven. I also believe in supporting their executive functioning needs, steering them to discover which strategies and technology tools work best for each individual student in order to help them to stay organized and be able to express what they know and receive information without the clutter and frustration that comes with processing issues and learning differences. My goal is ultimately for them to eak through personal barriers in order to love learning, never want to stop learning, and realize how capable they are.”
Toughest challenge facing educators: “Time! The challenge is always feeling like there is not enough time to accomplish everything I want to do as far as planning, grading, and providing feedback to my students. I work to remedy this by trying to employ the time management and learning strategies I teach them. I think it’s important to model a balance of work and life because their own immense challenges of managing time can be world of pressure.”
