Writing by Rachel

I began as a high school English teacher in Pittsburgh and later moved to public schools in Boston, and Durham. As a Literacy Coach, I worked with science, English, and social studies teachers to develop literacy strategies for their content areas and help teachers adopt best practices for literacy in their classroom. For a decade, I wrote lessons and articles for students, teachers, and parents that were published in newspapers across the country through the Newspapers In Education program, and for an online education company.

On my first day of a long-term substitute position, the teacher told me to make the work authentic. Those words resonated and have framed how I teach. From community service projects to current events lessons, I try to connect student learning to the world, their communities, and their lives. I'm drawn to books with an historical connection and the possibility of connecting students to history or to big issues.

Received the REAL Award from Governor Santorum for an extended community service project.

Bachelor's in psychology and English with secondary education from Goucher College. Master's in Children's Literature from Simmons College.

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