I’m excited to share my interview with Voices from the Field, Elana Gordon’s Substack dedicated to educators and evidence-based strategies. Elana was one of the hosts for the Teaching That Succeeds conference. In my interview, I discussed how I engage students with poetry, Shakespeare, and novel studies. Read it here. I’ve been impressed with Substack’s … More My interview with Voices from the Field
Recent trends in education have moved away from studying complete novels or plays. Instead, the curriculum may offer two scenes from Romeo and Juliet or one chapter from The Scarlet Letter and invite students to analyze key literary elements. This excerpt practice takes literary works out of context and fails to build reading endurance. Students … More #TLC: Reading Endurance Depends on Student Voices
I’m a working poet ready to endlessly discuss poetry. I keep a big pink binder in my classroom with hundreds of poems photocopied for student use. Students can flip through and choose poems that speak to them. I love listening to them react aloud as they glance over poems — “Whoa, what’s that mean?” or … More #TLC: Understand a Poem in 6 Real Steps
In the past six years, I have taught all varieties of high school English — including AP, Dual Enrollment, creative writing, and journalism. While some may find the college-prep classes prestigious and appealing, I enjoy the standard grade-level Englishes because they allow me to move slowly and deliberately through plays and novels. In upcoming posts in … More #TLC: Dramatic Reading in the English Classroom
A teacher’s work never stops. Some of us may get summers off, but how are we spending our time? Attending professional developments, planning for the next year, sorting through our classroom supplies. My brain is always buzzing with ways to improve my craft. I decided to attend the Teaching That Succeeds Virtual Symposium. And I … More #TLC: 3 Practices That Help Students Build Meaning
As educators, we are often asked for a teaching philosophy or teaching statement. Here’s mine: I am inspired by the power of clear communication. Whether it’s the precise description of scientific data or the luxurious reflection promised by poetry, language helps us understand our world and imagine a better one. I want students to learn … More #TLC: Grace, Patience, and Authenticity
I am no stranger to the dread of poetry. When my students enter class and see “Poem of the Week” emblazoned on the warmup slide, the groans and sighs begin. “Poetry? I hate poetry!” Many students fear and despise poetry because it makes them feel stupid. They imagine, or have been led to believe, that … More #TLC: Rigor, Energy, Delight: A Poetic Practice
So much of modern advice for teachers involves tuning in to students’ anxieties, fears, and moods in such a way that you are told, “Never cold-call a student,” or “Don’t give a student anxiety by asking them to read an unfamiliar passage out loud.” I think this is a misdirected or perhaps misapplied approach to … More #TLC: Bravery in the Classroom
As we monitor COVID-19, many schools and universities are transitioning to “remote instruction,” a fancy name for online learning. While online education is developing, it is far from the scholastic dream teachers and administrators cherish. In the future, I have no doubt that online instruction will be dynamic, empathetic, and effective — combining all the … More #TLC: 8 Tips for Online Teaching
I’m excited to share a recent interview I did for Bidwell Hollow, a literary newsletter celebrating authors and book events! In this interview, I talk about teaching, embodied poetry, and the meaning of “neoteny.” I appreciate the thoughtful questions and the chance to discuss my work! Read the full interview here.
Today my essay, “Remaking the Ideal Teacher,” goes live in the Disability Futures series of How We Get to Next. This piece is among a series of essays written by disabled writers and curated by Kenny Fries. Here’s how my piece begins: Two weeks into my summer writing course, I stare down a class of rowdy … More “Remaking the Ideal Teacher” published in How We Get to Next!
Each semester I share with students a list of the books and articles that I have used to develop the methods and concepts for my courses. Some may see this as pretentious — me handing them a long list and saying “Look how much I’ve read!” I don’t have a problem with that: scholars and … More Bibliography as Invitation
Jacob Lusk is a Jacksonville, Florida native, a high school English teacher, and an amateur film critic, who writes about movies on his blog, The Panned Review. You can follow him on Twitter. Check out his tips and suggestions for composing a film review. Some Suggestions for Writing a Good Film Review Watch the film … More Guest Post: On Writing a Film Review
A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by Nancy and Peter Torpey from the Eyes On Success podcast. Eyes on Success interviews blind people from all over the world about their careers, passions, hobbies, and challenges. I had a blast doing my interview! I was excited to discuss teaching, writing, and publishing! My interview was … More My interview with the Eyes On Success podcast!
Today an instructor I’ve never met before walked into our shared office. We had the following exchange. Colleague: Hello. You teach here? Me: Good morning. Yes. I teach writing. Colleague: And you’re blind? Me: Yes. Colleague: So…do you have any assistance in the classroom? Me: No, not really. Colleague: Wow, that’s just incredible! I really … More A Day in the Life
On the Blink 