About the Teacher

Welcome to Ms. Amanda L. Guidry's class Web site, your one-stop place for links to all of the online resources you need to succeed in English I and II and Journalism I. Here, you will find links to your class calendar (in case you forgot to write your homework down), details about the class itself, and helpful links for researching, editing, and writing. Now, before you start Googling me (yes, we teachers know that many of our students research us, and that is so creepy!), let me tell you a little about myself.

I didn't want to be a teacher when I was growing up. My mom was a fourth-grade teacher and then a principal, so I knew the long, hard hours, low pay, and little respect that accompanied those who decided to pursue education as a career. I decided to go with my first love--writing--and majored in journalism. I earned a bachelor of arts in journalism with a minor in art/photography from UL Lafayette, as well as a master's of science in journalism with a cognate in Latin-American studies. While in college, I worked as a reporter and then editor in chief of the college newspaper, The Vermilion. While working on my master's thesis (the huge research paper, not the sentence found in the introduction of an essay), I left the school paper to work full time as the editor of a local newsmagazine titled The Acadian. After completing my degree, I began teaching part-time at LSU-Eunice as an adjunct instructor of communication, while still working as the editor of the newsmagazine.

It was while teaching at LSUE that I realized I loved teaching and wanted to do so full-time, so I worked on my teaching certification and switched careers, teaching high school in St. Landry Parish at my alma mater. Now, several years later, I am the Honors English I, Honors English II, and Journalism I instructor at Early College Academy, as well as an occasional adjunct instructor at South Louisiana Community College. In addition to this, I also am the ECA communication coordinator, senior class co-chair, Yearbook Club sponsor, sponsor of the annual Literary Rally, the Senior Sendoff sponsor, the IMPACT Club sponsor, and the sponsor of Cinema Club.

If you're looking for more personal information, I don't like long walks on the beach because I hate the way sand feels between my toes, my favorite book of all time is An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott, and I am a musical eclectic with a collection ranging from classical composers like Vivaldi and Wagner to Big Band era swing to classic '70s and '80s rock, and jazz. If you ask me "Elvis or The Beatles?", I'll ask you why you are being divisive; I love both! Green is my favorite color, my drink of choice is Dr. Pepper (especially with a squeeze of lemon), and office supplies are my weakness. I also love lame "dad jokes" and puns.