I have been a Language Arts teacher for the past twenty years and have taught several different classes from Creative Writing to inclusion classes to honors classes. I currently teach English 9, AP Literature and Composition, and a dual enrollment class through Kenyon College. My entire teaching career has been with Hilliard City Schools, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio.
The common thread that runs through every class I teach is showing students the power of language to shape their experiences. I love using literature to teach students how our understanding of the world is shaped by the stories we tell and how they, in the words of Walt Whitman, can “contribute a verse.”
This website contains writings about my philosophy of education and some of my current lesson plans. Sone of them I have used for years, while some of them are lessons I am currently testing out. My hope is that you will find my website to be a place for quality language arts lessons. I don’t want it to be a place where I rail against the establishment and bemoan the state of education. I’d like it to be a safe haven where language arts teachers can find a community of learners who share the common goal of inspiring young minds through reading and writing. Please comment on my posts so that we can build that community.
I also create teaching resources that you can find at my Teachers Pay Teachers store. My specialty is comics that are designed to teach language arts concepts like grammar, punctuation, and literature in a fun, yet informative way. I spent a few years drawing a weekly comic strip for the Ohio State University’s student newspaper (you can see some of that work here) but gave up drawing once I entered the classroom as a teacher. Eventually I found a way to marry my love of teaching and drawing to create my products. Here’s what a few people have said about them:
“I highly recommend these comics; they are an amazing teaching tool.”
“Solid, quick solution for grammar issues among my students.”
“Many resources on Shakespeare can be quite dry. It’s great to have some punchy visuals to add to my resources for introducing the bard to students.”
“These are so cool! My kids loved using this as a review activity. This helps engage students who might not “get” traditional grammar instruction.”
You can find examples of my work below – click on them to see the entire product- or go to my store here.
When I’m not teaching or drawing, I like to read, do yoga, and collect books of old newspaper comics.
Please connect with me at the top of the page. Most importantly, join my email list for free products, teaching ideas, and updates not available elsewhere.
