Welcome to my blog! I am excited to share my love of teaching and my love of literature. Whether classic or new, books can transport us to other places and times. While there are those who believe literature is not for everyone, it can be. This blog will discuss various novels as seen through the eyes of a teacher trying to spread a love of reader to others. I hope that you come to enjoy reading as much as I do. Sit down, relax, and enjoy the ride.

As a teacher for the past eighteen years, I have read my fair share of novels. Some I like, some are okay, and some have become my favorites. I often encounter students and adults alike who say that they don’t like reading. This is always shocking to me. I understand that sometimes in school we are forced to read books that we would never choose for ourselves, however, every time you read a book there is always something new to learn.

Currently I am teacher George Orwell’s Animal Farm with my sophomores and The Great Gatsby with my seniors. While I enjoy teaching Orwell, I do not love teaching Gatsby. A student who I had last year pointed out that they could not get into Gatsby because they could not identify with any of the characters. I thought about this and I can understand why she felt that way. I, too, do not identify with any of the characters. This is when, as a teacher, you have to do some deep thinking and find something within the book that they can get into. For me, it is the history involved with this book. Learning about he 1920s and how the world changed during that time period is interesting. For others it could be the music that was popular or the fashion. The key to having a successful literary journey is finding out what each student can find interesting within the story.

As this blog continues to grow, It is my hope to have interesting conversations with my audience. I love to learn from others and share what I know with them. Everyday can be a new learning day. We learn something new everyday until we close our eyes for the final time. It can be something great, it can be something we don’t wish to learn again, and it can be silly and fun. I ,myself, love collecting Jeopardy knowledge. It is my intention to build a community of story lovers and creators. Come aboard, tell a friend, and let’s get Lit(erature)!

Until next time, my friends,

Cathy