Teaching is no small feat. It requires decision making, perseverance,
creativity, intelligence, physical stamina, constant documentation, and
most of all a desire to inspire others – and that’s every hour of the school
day and weekends too. As difficult as the task may be, I still fill that sense
of pride in being a part of the profession, in being a teacher. I hope the
information found here and the resources provided, inspire you and support
you in your journey as an educator.
Discover Research
Life Changing Research
My Family
I am married to my wonderful husband, Mark. We have two children who are navigating the veritable waters of college life. Early in their college experience, I would get calls about how to do laundry, how to put air in their car tires, and how to make grilled cheese. Now the material they study is harder and the reading denser so the questions I get center on how to study and how to think critically about various assigned topics. I find this time in their lives exciting, and I can use my teaching skills on my own children!
Interdisciplinary Learner
I love learning, and I particularly enjoy making connections with multiple disciplines. Understanding how a story in literature connects to history, art, music and more is fascinating! These connections showcase who we are as humans, constantly creating, adapting and connecting to the world around us.
Education & Expertise
I am proud to have been a full-time classroom teacher for many years. When I first began my career, I was assigned to teach 8th grade American history seven periods a day. I was also requested to teach history through as much literature as possible and utilize the textbook as a reference tool only. This began the start of a not-so-traditional teaching career. Worksheets were frowned upon, and major projects became exhausting, but somewhere in those long days and even longer evenings, I survived and eventually flourished. I have taught everything from middle school social studies to Advanced Placement Language and Composition and a bit of everything in between. For those who simply want the formal education details, here you go:
Bachelors in English - University of Texas in Arlington (Go Mavericks!)
Master’s in Education - Western Governor's University (Thank goodness for online learning!)
Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction - University of Arkansas (I survived and thrived! Go Hogs!)
Over the years I have worked for various educational publishers, creating activities and assessments for teachers - always making connections to other disciplines when possible.
Currently, I have one foot in the classroom working with students while the other foot works with teachers.
Teaching & Creativity
Teachers are a diverse bunch. Many of us enter the profession because we love teaching kids. Imparting wisdom and knowledge to the next generation can be heady stuff. Some of us enter the profession because we love our discipline so much, we want to inspire the next generation to love it too. Many teachers are somewhere in between, but having three months off in summer is definitely not the enticing draw - we know it's not true anyway! I contend that being able to control aspects of our teaching day and be creative in how we teach is somewhere at the top of 'why I became a teacher’ list.
This blog site and the resources created are not meant to replace what you already do in the classroom or lead you far from the curriculum you are asked to follow, but I do hope they serve to inspire you. Your time is precious! I’m here to offer a place where you can allow yourself to be creative and to offer up a different way of viewing lesson planning and learning.
Ask yourself:
What activities, strategies and resources work for me now and why do they work?
Do I want to try something new in the classroom to deepen learning or engage my students, but I’m not sure what to try first?
When do I find the time as a teacher to sit back and really think about how to jazz up a lesson on a consistent basis?
Am I growing as an educator?
I invite you to explore the topics I write about - be curious, be creative and be courageous! Your students will thank you for it.
Sincerely,
Angie, The Lesson Crafter
Connect Theory to Practice
Engage & inspire your students.
Scaffold learning so all students succeed.
Build a safe, inclusive learning environment.
Build students’ schema by touching on all the disciplines.
Get outside your comfort zone so your students can get out of theirs.
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