Skill-Based English

Recently, my school has allowed me to pilot Competency-Based (and, similarly, Standards-Referenced) English 11, and the resources I've created can help anyone build a more skills-focused approach to their classrooms. I've worked for both charter and public high schools and am actively involved in the ELA and AVID departments, teaching both honors and non-honors courses. I've taught every grade level and have had a chance to teach a few unique classes, including Intro to Logic (which all schools should require), Research and Evaluation, LitWorld, and Short Story.

Two hard truths forced me to re-examine how I taught ELA: 1) Students could pass my class by showing effort, not by mastering important skills. 2) The current pendulum swing in education is a pressure not to fail students (I hear this from every teacher I talk to), which forces a lowering of expectations. This, we all know, is the opposite of preparing students for life beyond high school. This led me to Competency-Based (then later to the less-intense Standards-Based) Education. I wish I'd made the change years ago. This shift has influenced every aspect of my teaching, from rubrics to latework to instruction. Even assessments are so much cooler now. Everything I'm doing is better and more focused, and hopefully what I've learned can help those who are going through the same journey I am!

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I'm fortunate to be a published author, which feeds my love of teaching writing.