8th grade

A Note From the Teacher (8th Grade)

Hello,

My name is Caleb Wright. I am excited to begin my first year teaching middle school English. I am a recent graduate of North Greenville University, where I received a Bachelor of Christian Studies with honors. Literature has been a passion of mine from the 5th grade onwards. I hope to foster the joy of reading in my students in the same way many great teachers have in my own life. 

On a very personal level, I love the books that eighth graders at this school are reading from. Some works played a crucial role in my own schooling, while others I have read for my own enjoyment. All of these writings, while clearly distinct in their own genre and styles, share a common theme, that of personal freedom. This is why you will see the following quote on the eight grade table: 

“Centuries of chains and lashes will not kill the spirit of a man, nor the sense of truth within him.”

This quote from the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand perfectly encapsulates the theme of freedom found within the eighth grade catalog. From the classic novella Animal Farm, where the communist pigs oppress the farm under the banner “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,” to Romeo and Juliet, where the desire for freedom from their families drive Romeo and Juliet to run away together. My hope is for the students to read these works exploring freedom and gain perspective on the plights of the past while defending their own freedom into the future.

• Caleb Wright