A little about ME

"Professional" Lisa

I graduated with a B.A. in English Education from Purdue in May 2003. I am currently an English teacher, teaching grades 10 and 11 at Twin Lakes High School in Monticello, IN. This is my third class as a graduate student, and I am very excited to begin. My professional goal(s) is/are still fuzzy as to what I ultimately want. My goal this past school year was focused on creating and implementing a thorough, accurate writing rubric. I cannot say that I specifically focus on reading “skills” at this level, but I believe it is just a standard process in any English classroom. Personal ways that I teach and try to improve reading strategies in my classroom include summarizing in class as we read, practicing oral reading (Shakespeare and other plays, specifically), having students paraphrase on their own, study/reading guides, and finally short essay comprehension practice (they read excerpts and answer corresponding questions). I constantly try to find ways connect texts to student interests. Right now my strategies feel basic, and I hope this class will improve that feeling. Therefore, the following summarizes most of my learning goals for this semester:

· Learn and exercise new techniques for incorporating reading strategies with student identity

· Adjust the strategies I already use to make them more FUN to the students (because to a point, fun does matter)

· Meet and acquaint myself with a variety of new people (all of YOU!)

· Practice and implement the skills and ideas presented over the next several weeks

"Human" Lisa

For those of you who also teach, you know what I mean when I say “human.” I think I was the same way in school; I did not realize that teachers had lives. I still manage to have a good social life underneath the stacks of papers I grade on a continual basis. I live in rural Lafayette, IN with my boyfriend, Jason. His daughter turned 5 this past August. We are pretty ordinary. While I teach, Jason runs his parents’ restaurant, The Downtowner (for those of you in the area, it is located in Market Square Shopping Center), with his brother and mom. We enjoy a variety of activities together, including bowling, pool, socializing with friends, spending time with his daughter, working outside, and having bonfires in our yard. While we enjoy activities together, I also partake in hobbies on my own including photography, reading (when I have time), minor interior decorating, weight lifting, and just being with my friends.

I hope to make friends through this course. I look at education and educators in the sense that if we form a team, our strategies grow, and new ideas are sparked. I am always open to conversation about other strategies, if anyone ever wants to chat. I hope you learned a little about me, and I hope to get to know all of you better as well. Until next time…