About Me

During the school year, I teach 9th grade English Language Arts at a charter school in Minnesota. But since it's a charter school, we all wear multiple hats. For example, I coach debate in the fall and track in the spring. I've agreed to be the staff advisor for our school's new FCA huddle and I'm also helping to organize and produce a student-directed one-act play. Oh, and I just got a part-time job at the YMCA, helping to run the climbing wall (my wife and I really got into rock climbing over the summer). Needless to say, even though I am primarily employed as an English teacher, I don't actually get to read much.

Nevertheless, this blog is my effort to take my work and spin it around. When I tell people that I'm and English teacher, they immediately ask what I'm reading or what assignments I give out (actually, that's false; they immediately ask whether I assign the one book that they think is the book that they think teenagers should be reading).

At any rate, I don't like assigning book reports. And I don't often use the books that others think are critical for "the younger generation" to be reading. Regardless, I do want and opportunity to share some of the ideas and attitudes and resources that find a place in my classroom. So even though the title of the blog would seem to indicate content only having to do with books, I will be giving my review on all sorts of things related to classroom education and beyond. Stay tuned.

My wife and me at Interstate State Park (MN side) on the day after
Thanksgiving, 2015