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About The Teacher Label:


About The Teacher
Hey y'all!! A little about me and my kin here, then on to my teaching credentials. We are of Irish, French, British, and Welsh descent, and have lived primarily in Pennsylvania since my family came here from Ireland, Germany, and Wales in the late 1800's. (I did some geneological research on my family a few years ago, and discovered that we are NOT German at all, which we used to believe wholeheartedly!! We are French and Scottish instead (With a fair amount of Irish and Welsh, too!) I was able to trace my family back to the 1500's in Eastern France, and to the 1300's in Scotland -- to Urquart! BIG surprise! If you've never tried geneology - you should; it's very interesting. But be sure you have time... it's very addicting and time consuming!) Obviously we've all moved around quite a bit, and my family settled here in the Hudson Valley when I was about 8. I am a product of the WCSD!! Right now we live in the Red Oaks Mill area. I have tried to make the area around our house look like an English country cottage with perennial gardens and roses in the front, but the deer love perennials, and our weather is not like England's, so it's not quite the same. But I do love my flowers! We, my 20-year old daughter and I, live here with our standard poodle (the BIG sort of poodle), Bella Luna, three cats: Salem, Marco, and "Little Miss" (who wandered into our garage last December -- we fell in love with her, and she stayed!), and a guinea pig named Stella. (Alas, Stella is no longer with us...) Actually, though this is my daughter's home address -- she is now in her junior year at a liberal arts college in PA - she is studying Theatre and English! HUZZAH!! We love to travel and we love to read and we love to swim. Thank goodness for the pool in our back yard!! Our favorite place to travel is the West Country in England (where King Arthur was born). And we are both avid readers and writers. My favorite writer is C.S. Lewis, and my daughter loves the Harry Potter books, fantasy, Jane Austen, and mythology. I am also passionate about anything ENGLISH -- an anglophile of the first degree. You will no doubt notice this in class... (Aye, that you will :) ) Two of my favorite poems follow: Caedmon's Hymn Nu we sculan herigan heofonrices Weard, Meotoed meahte and his modgethanc, weorc Wuldorfaeder swe he wundra gehwaes, ece Dryhten, ord onstealde. He aerest gesceop eorthan bearnum heofon to hrofe, halig Scyppend; Tha middengeard, moncynnes Weard, ece Dryhten, aefter teode firum foldan, Frea aelmihtig. Piano SOFTLY, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me; Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings. In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside And hymns in the cozy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide. So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past. D.H. Lawrence. 1885–1930 Presently, my favorite author is Bill Bryson -- who writes travel and personal memoirs. He is a HOOT! (Try reading THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID! You will LAUGH OUT LOUD!!) And now for my credentials... Education and Professional Experience Education High School - Roy C. Ketcham, Wappingers Falls, New York 1975 B.A. English and Psychology - State University of New York at Albany 1980 M.A. Secondary English Education - S.U.N.Y. at Albany 1982 Professional Experience 2008 - 09 John Jay High School 9th grade Regents English, 9th Grade Honors English DETENTION QUEEN! JJHS Young Democrats Club (We met Hillary! AND BARACK!!) Spring Theatre trip to London Summer Trip to Italy and Greece 2007-08 John Jay High School 9th grade Regents English, 9th Grade Honors English DETENTION QUEEN! JJHS Young Democrats Club (We met Hillary! AND BARACK!!) Spring Theatre trip to London Summer School 2008 2006-2007 John Jay High School 9th grade Regents English, 9th Grade Honors English DETENTION QUEEN! Yearbook advisor until January - HUZZAH! JJHS Young Democrats Club (We met Hillary!) Spring Theatre trips to London 2005-2006 John Jay High School 9th grade Regents English, 9th Grade Honors English Interact Club Advisor, DETENTION QUEEN! Spring Theatre trip to London 2003-2005 John Jay High School 9th grade Regents English, 9th Grade Honors English Summer trips to the UK and Italy and Greece Spring Theatre trips to London 2002-2005 John Jay High School 9th grade Regents English, 9th Grade Honors English, DETENTION QUEEN! (I took care of after school detention. This means you should BEWARE of not doing your homework. If you are missing work, you will be spending your afternoons with me!!) 2001-2002 John Jay High School 9th grade Regents English, 9th Grade Honors English, Interact Club Advisor, Summer travel in Paris 2000-2001 John Jay High School 9th grade Regents English, Interact Club Advisor, Summer travel in Ireland 1999-2000 John Jay High School 9th grade Regents English, Sophomore class advisor, Interact Club advisor 1998-1999 John Jay High School 9th grade Regents English Summer travel in England, Sophomore class advisor, Interact Club advisor 1997-1998 Roy C. Ketcham Senior High School John Jay Senior High School 9th grade Regents English 1996-1997 Roy C. Ketcham Senior High School 9th and 10th grade Regents English 1993-1996 Faith Christian Academy 7th and 8th grade English Course I Mathematics, 7th and 8th grade math American and World History Earth Science, Life Science Yearbook Advisor, NJHS Advisor, Student Council Advisor Junior High Curriculum coordinator 1989-1991 Mount Aloysius College/Saint Francis College Continuing Education Instructor: Introduction to Literature, Short Story 1985-1989 Bishop McCort High School AP English, Academic English 12, Honors English 12 Honors English 11, Essay Writing Public Speaking and Forensics, Advanced Forensics Forensics Coach, Director of Drama Productions Student Activities Coordinator, Coordinator for Summer travel in England (Three trips to England!) 1983-1984 Grace Christian School 7th and 8th grade English/Language Arts Pre-Calculus Analysis, Algebra I, II Yearbook Advisor, Student Council Advisor, Cheerleading Coach 1982-1983 Pineview Christian Academy English/Language Arts grades 7 - 12, Mass Media and Communications Psychology, Sociology, Social Studies 11 Math 7, Bible 11,12 Student Council Advisor, English Curriculum Coordinator 1981-1982 Loudonville Christian School English/Language Arts 7 and 8

Mission Label:


Mission
My goal for this class is to instill in students a love of language and literature, and to provide them with the skills necessary to be effective communicators -- both in written and spoken language. Obviously, I intend to prepare them for the upcoming AP and Regents Exams, so analytical and expository writing, based on selected readings, will be a major focus in class. My hope is that in my class students will flourish in an environment that is structured, but fun, and one that I strive to make safe, non- threatening, and nurturing, so that they will continue to mature, and become THINKING, KIND, and compassionate human beings.