Litany of Lovable Literature Lessons

I have been a middle school teacher for the last 15 years in Central Illinois. 13 of those years, I taught 7th grade and the last two years have been at the 8th grade level. I earned my Bachelors Degree in Secondary English Education at Illinois State University. My student teaching experience was at the high school level with sophomores and seniors. My Masters in Reading was also completed at ISU in 2010. I have an additional 48 extra course hours past the Masters designation. I have also served as an Assistant Speech Coach at the high school level and have lots of experience in theater and speech team. Currently, I serve as the middle school speech coach.

As an 8th grade middle school teacher, my goal is to make literature meaningful and entertaining for my students. I want students to identify the authors who speak to them. I teach many texts from a reader response perspective. I also utilize the gradual release model within units so that students gain more autonomy as we progress through each unit or text. I also create fun projects which allow students to have choice in how they present their knowledge and learning.

Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Illinois State University. Beyond the Books Grant Winner in 2016, 2017, 2018, & 2019 Cornbelt Energy Grant Winner of $1,500 in 2016.

I attended Unit 5 Schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade. 2 years of my Bachelors Degree were done at Eureka College in Eureka, IL Last 2 years of my Bachelors Degree in Secondary English Education was completed at Illinois State University. I earned my Masters Degree in Reading in 2010 from Illinois State University. 48 additional credit hours were earned from Illinois State University and Augustana College.

I am an avid old time radio fan. I incorporate old time radio shows in my classroom and students learn about Jack Benny, Red Skelton, George Burns, as well as listen to Suspense Radio plays. One of my favorite classroom projects is having students create their own old time radio scripts and then performing them. I also utilize lots of old time movies to illustrate concepts. Some actors I include are: Laurel & Hardy, Vincent Price, and Peter Lorre, etc. Students also enjoy watching The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents to re-enact short stories that are read.