I teach 6th and 8th Grade English Language Arts, with a wonderful, eager, and engaged group of children. Every child in my classroom wants to learn and succeed, and I encourage them to work hard, share their thinking, and push themselves to grow at every opportunity. While some students are still working their way through their first chapter book, others are zooming through my library.

My students are a diverse group of creative, enthusiastic, and inquisitive inner-city children who range from struggling readers, getting started with chapter books, to high-level readers who are grade-levels ahead.

Our curriculum focuses on using high-interest reading, and as much of it as possible, to help our students grow as readers, critical thinkers, and individuals. We believe that the best way to improve literacy is for children to read, read, and read some more, with teachers who can support their thinking as is it develops and blossoms.

Unfortunately, our schools budget is unable to provide the number and variety of books that we need to help our students thrive. At our middle school, we prioritize creating an environment where we can build literacy for all, support struggling learners, and help gifted students grow.