Tell us a bit about your background:
My name is Candice from Portland, Oregon. This is my 7th year teaching, with 4 of those years at BBS. As an English teacher, I of course love to read, write and learn new ideas and activities. I think my love for students is the primary reason I became a teacher- a job where I learn each day! I really believe this is the best job one could have.
What teaching and learning goal are you most excited to achieve by the end of this school year?
At the beginning of the year I set the professional goal of incorporating more peer editing of writing into the Honors and AP curriculums. I wanted to get the students to begin to look at essays as a writer: how do we deconstruct essays and begin to look at how the components interact to form an argument or cohesive thought?
Specifically for the honors class, this has been extremely successful and the improvements are really beginning to become evident in the writing they are producing 4th quarter. The class usually reads a minimum of two of their classmates’ essays with a full peer-to-peer conference per unit. The students then take those critiques into the final revisions of their work. It takes some time and patience to get them used to thinking like a writer, but once they catch on, it’s amazing to see the high quality of feedback and support they give one another.
Do you have any inspirational words and/or specific sites, organizations, strategies, or links that you’d like to share with other teachers?
Above my desk I have a sign that says “Trust the process.” Not only do I refer myself to it as I grow as a teacher, but I point it out to my classes as well. When my 10th grade Honors class began the peer editing work in September, there was a lot of frustration. This is the first time they are taking on an accelerated English class and many were struggling to make the leap. I always remind them that they will never improve if they don’t let go and accept the learning that needs to happen along the way. Once they start relinquishing control, they suddenly are able to see success not only as a certain grade at the end of the semester, but in the small victories along the way.
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