About the Teacher

Welcome to Ms. Amanda L. Guidry's class website, 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's a bit 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 pursue 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 of Science in Journalism with a cognate in Latin-American studies. While in college, I worked as a reporter and later served as 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 continuing to work as the editor of the newsmagazine.

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

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, some of my favorite books are the Harry Potter series, The Great Gatsby, and The Screwtape Letters, and I am a musical eclectic with a collection ranging from classical composers like Mozard, 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.