Jenna Gardner

I have been teaching for 20 years. I am certified in ESOL and Gifted education and currently teach AP Capstone--AP Seminar/ English 10 and AP Research. I taught Advanced Placement English Literature for 12 years. I also occasionally get to teach AP Art History. In addition to Advanced Placement I have taught ELL and Gifted courses. I have taught the following courses--Advanced Placement European History, Senior Modern Literature, Senior British Literature, Junior American Literature, Sophomore World Literature, ESOL Language Arts Level II, III and IV, and Journalism

I believe in engaging students by being the "guide to the side" rather than the "sage on the stage." Game play, in-class writing and discussion are the avenues for learning. Much of my instruction and assessment (informal and formal) rests on writing and project-based learning. I frequently use visuals (works or art, picture books, etc.) to engage students in activating their critical thinking and analytical writing skills. You can also see other resources and my underlying approach at: https://sites.google.com/site/jennaglit/

Due to my student's essay about me I was the Atlanta Toyota 2009 Most Inspiring Teacher of the Year for Meadowcreek High. My instructional style with picture books was featured in CollegeBoard's "Acheiving Equity:Resources" http://professionals.collegeboard.com/k-12/assessment/ap/equity?ep_ch=PR&ep_mid=9531526&ep_rid=30862426 "Picture Books in the Secondary Classroom" http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/Picture-Books-in-the-Secondary-Classroom.pdf

I have earned the following degrees: M. Ed. English Education 2011, Georgia State University B.S. English Education 2002, Kennesaw University B.A. English & History 1995, University of Texas at Austin

I am strongly involved in growing as a professional and not only to a participate in professional develop I have also led professional develop instruction on a local level in my school and county and on a state and national level through the following sessions: "Picturebooks Aren't Just for Little Kids Anymore: Using Picturebooks in the Secondary Classroom" 2010 Conference of Literacy, Urban Issues, and Social Studies Education (CLUES) - Georgia State University Co-presented with Dr. Marietta Malone: "Picturebooks Aren't Just for Little Kids Anymore: Using Picturebooks in the Secondary Classroom" 2011 Advanced Placement Annual Conference - San Francisco, California "Finding the Missing Link: Using Text Analysis to Develop Students' Writing Skill" 2011 Advanced Placement Annual Conference - San Francisco, California "Austen at Play: Exploring Austen Novels Through Game Theory and Social Networking to Foster Critical Thinking and Ethical Behavior" 2011 Annual NCTE (National Council Teachers of English) Conference - Chicago, Illinois