Emily Hensley
Emily Hensley is a graduate student pursuing her Master of Arts in Teaching at Concordia University in Portland. She is currently completing her student teaching in secondary education for endorsements in Art and Language Arts. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Magazine Journalism from the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication with a minor in Art. Emily has spent the last four years working as a full-time graphic designer, exploring the nation’s national parks, wading her way through classic literature, and restoring her 1904 Northeast Portland home. With nearly a decade of life experience under her post-high school belt, Emily is ready to return once again to the classroom—bringing with her a desire to better the lives of her students, a determination to improve public education, and a dream of a school system that makes headlines for its many successes rather than shortcomings.
I recently went back to high school—this time as a teacher. While many of the strategies we use in other grade levels are still highly effective with this age group, here a few tips to take with you should your find yourself back in the belly of the (teenage) beast.
1. Dress to impress. When I was in high school, there was never any doubt as to who was a teacher and who was a student. The style (or lack thereof) of clothing of my high school teachers was a stark contrast to the styles of the students–and it’s not that they dressed professionally: they dressed “old.”
While leggings, mini dresses and lace-up boots (don’t get me started on UGG boots) might be both comfortable and attractive, they don’t do much to lend credit to you as an authority figure.
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Category: teaching strategies | No Comments »
Tags: dressing for success, Emily Hensley, Feris Bueller's Day Off, professionalism in the classroom, The Goonies
As the daughter of a teacher (and a closeted perfectionist), organization and preparation have always been at the heart of my professional success. If I am well prepared, I have no fear of failure. Scratch that, had no fear of failure.
Earlier this month, I began teaching a unit on relief printmaking with a seventh grade class I’ve been working with since September. I was fresh off a fantastic first lesson during which I presented a brief history of relief printing to the class. To my surprise, the students were fascinated with the history and focused their attention throughout the lesson.
So, when the students came to class the following day I felt confident that my well-planned lesson would be just as enjoyable for them. Boy was I wrong. But before I drudge up those painful memories for you, let’s take a look at the good intention that helped get me into this mess.
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Category: teaching strategies | 4 Comments »
Tags: lesson plan, relief printmaking, teaching strategies, technology
