ELAtion Nation is more than a catchy name: it's a philosophy that wherever we are, we are creating a classroom environment that is safe, inclusive, academically rigorous, and culturally relevant for all of our learners. Together, we can work every day to advance justice both inside and outside the classroom.
As a teacher, I believe in helping students find their voice through reading and writing, so they can better express themselves, practice self-advocacy, and find empowerment. That's why we value incorporating student interests and passions into the classroom, emphasize peer-to-peer collaboration, and have families and the community take an active role in students' learning process.
I believe connecting the work students do in class with the "real world" through local community organizations and student clubs and extracurriculars makes the content of an ELA class be more relavant to students' every day lives. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a student take their writing or reading outside of the classroom, whether it's a rousing speech at a pep rally, or an op-ed for a local newspaper for a topic a student feels strongly about.