About My Classroom

I am a 7th-grade English Language Arts teacher at Scripps Middle School. It is a position that I am honored to hold and have worked tirelessly at in order to be the best educator I can be. Please take a look into my classroom and learn about the space I have created for my students.

An Inviting Place to Learn

First impressions matter, and I believe that carries over into classrooms. When my students enter my classroom on the first day of school, it is important to me that they feel comfortable before the class has even started. I take pride in the work I have put into achieving this goal. From lighting to bulletin boards, from book displays to student work, my classroom is space where all students are welcome and encouraged to be themselves throughout their educational journey.

Putting in the Work

Beyond the aesthetics of my classroom is an environment where students feel ready to learn. One of the most significant results of building a room where students feel comfortable, seen, and heard, is that students get to be part of a community where they can try new things and make mistakes. Taking risks is part of learning, and when students are in a space where they feel encouraged and cared for, students are able to flourish.

In Theory and in Practice

In my English Language Arts classroom at Scripps Middle School, you will find that much of our learning time is dedicated to reading and writing. However, this goes beyond assigning texts to read and essays to write. In my classroom, I prioritize choice. This means choice in independent reading novels, research topics, writing prompts, book club groups, and more. Middle school is a pivotal time for young people. Many students feel very strongly about reading and writing: they love it, or they hate it. My goal in offering choice in my classroom is to help foster a love for reading and writing to the best of my ability. I do not believe that a 12-year-old will be impassioned by books they did not choose or topics they do not care about. For example, when I tell my classes that we will be going on a journey through the genre of historical fiction, there are many choices to be made. First, I teach my students about different time periods and ask them to consider what grabs their attention the most. Then, I show them novels by diverse authors that represent these different periods. After they find books that speak to them, they get to choose who they work the best with. Together, with my students, we make our own choices while working on literacy skills. That is just a glimpse into my classroom--a place where all are welcome.

All images are my own unless otherwise specified.

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