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I fell in love with ELA as a student because of engaging ELA teachers. I strive to to ignite a spark in those who struggle with reading and writing and help them reach their potential.

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I am a teacher because I grew up in a community that saw me as lesser. Then one day I had an encounter with someone that had the same life experience and they told me that education would get me out and away. I wanted to be a teacher so I can help empower others to the same end.

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I am a poet, playwright, and songwriter. I have taught for 42 years. Everything I do in the classroom is meant to excite students about language and its possibilities.

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I am a poet, playwright, and songwriter. I have taught for 42 years. Everything I do in the classroom is meant to excite students about language and its possibilities.

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I am a poet, playwright, and songwriter. I have taught for 42 years. Everything I do in the classroom is meant to excite students about language and its possibilities.

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My education has giving me the opportunity to share my passion to teach the love of reading. Why did I choose ELA.... I guess it is the books.

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I was never a great reader, always reading below grade level. Every teacher pointed it out but none of them really took the time to teach me strategies I could use. I want to give that to my students. I am also dyslexic (diagnosed as an adult). I want students to know that doesn't stop them!

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I am a poet, playwright, and songwriter. I have taught for 42 years. Everything I do in the classroom is meant to excite students about language and its possibilities.

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I knew at the age of 3 I was going to be a teacher. I always thought I wanted to teach little ones, but ended up in 8th grade ELA and It is my favorite.

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Why do you teach? I fell in love with ELA because I was able to read the book and actually analyze it. I knew what the author was asking, I knew what my teacher was asking. I felt like I could understand the material without needing any extra guidance. I enjoyed the feeling of writing notes down in my books and writing what I thought. There was never really a right or wrong answer, it was just a thought process.

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I love teaching ELA because it has students engage and critically think about various texts and their authors. It also opens up the floor to see what their peers’ thoughts are on the topic as well.

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Reading opens a world of new ideas and new vision

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Reading opens a world of new ideas and new vision

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Honestly, I didn't want to teach ELA, It was to fill my schedule with Theater. I found that if I look at it as an Art and with an artist lens I fell in love with the way we express ourselves. That the artistic process is the same when we come to reading and writing and I we use the same skills. So, I take that passion for art and infuse it in ELA.

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Honestly, I didn't want to teach ELA, It was to fill my schedule with Theater. I found that if I look at it as an Art and with an artist lens I fell in love with the way we express ourselves. That the artistic process is the same when we come to reading and writing and I we use the same skills. So, I take that passion for art and infuse it in ELA.

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Reading can take you anywhere and offers endless ways to learn new things.

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I love books and inspiring kids to love books

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I love books and inspiring kids to love books

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In high school I had a teacher who was the first one to challenge my writing. Instead of giving me "great job!" comments, she marked specific areas of improvement and challenged me to be better. I was able to do this with students as an instructional assistant, and it made me want to teach ELA!

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I chose ELA because I recognized the opportunities of the humanities course to teach students about themselves and the world around them.

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Literature offers a glimpse into worlds and cultures otherwise unavailable: analyzing literature allows a voice and connection to those cultures otherwise silenced.

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Literature offers a glimpse into worlds and cultures otherwise unavailable: analyzing literature allows a voice and connection to those cultures otherwise silenced.

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Reading inspired me to become a teacher.

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Reading inspired me to become a teacher.

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I teach ELA because I love reading literature. I love how you can read works from all authors and periods and can connect, relate and identify with the human experience. I love reading and discussing expository texts. I love to watch students learn and grow.

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I have always looked up to my teachers who were passionate about reading and writing 

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I have always looked up to my teachers who were passionate about reading and writing 

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I teach because I know what it is like to come from places where I was counted out before I was even given a chance.  I teach to show students first hand that they can do it if they work hard and make the effort.  I teach ELA because it wasn't my best subject in school and I struggled with it, so I, again, understand what students are going through.

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I am trained as a math teacher but love reading and literature so this will be my first year teaching as a resource teacher in the area of English. I am thinking back as to my previous teachers to get inspiration.

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I teach to inspire. Why ELA? It allows students to use their imagination. 

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I teach to inspire. Why ELA? It allows students to use their imagination. 

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I have always loved reading, and I have taught history as well. This is a way to combine my love of both - and share that love with my students

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I teach because I care about young people. I have loved reading my entire life. Part of why I chose ELA as a content area is to share my passion for reading and the ways that reading can give you access to experiences outside of your own world.

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I teach ELA because I believe education is the key to success and ELA is the foundation on which all skills rest. Fostering a love for reading is so important as well, obviously:)

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I struggled with reading as a child and my 6th grade teacher helped me develop a love for reading.

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I struggled with reading as a child and my 6th grade teacher helped me develop a love for reading.

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Had a teacher that helped me see I could write...learned how powerful the written word is!

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Had a teacher that helped me see I could write...learned how powerful the written word is!

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I was fortunate to be raised by parents who are avid readers. They read to me starting at a very young age and that time spent with them was cozy, safe, and comforting. Because of this, I have always had a love of literature and a desire to pass that same gift on to others. This is why I became an ELAR teacher. I want to pay forward what my parents did for me.

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I wanted to go to law school and thought the ability to write would be a valuable skill for an attorney.  After 7 years in advertising, went back to the classroom because there is nothing better than seeing kids light up when they appreciate and connect with literature.

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I teach to share my love for reading and writing.

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I teach to share my love for reading and writing.

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In college, I wished that I could get paid to read books and write about my insights or discuss them with others. At the time, I was a journalism major, and could not find a job. I figured if I couldn't write for a living, I'd teach others how to! ;) I went back to school to get my teaching credential and fell in love with teaching and education! <3

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When I was in college, I thought I was going to become a math teacher. I liked the certainty of the "right answer," and there seemed to be tried-and-true methods and strategies. Enter Calculus III and Linear Algebra, and I couldn't hang. I still knew I wanted to teach, but pivoted to ELA because of my emerging love of reading short stories. I couldn't get enough of them, and thought that maybe spending every weekday reading & teaching these stories wouldn't be such a bad gig. Five years later and my suspicions have been confirmed: it's a wonderful thing to get to share my love of reading with students, and to see them coming to love some of the stories as well.

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I fell in love with this content when I took a literature and film course in jr. college. I want to share the different elements of literature with students and help them understand the different aspects of literature.

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I became a teacher because I was blessed by creative, supportive teachers who made me believe that I was skilled. These were teachers who made school fun. I realized later what a gift those teachers were for me. ELA in particular was my choice because sharing in the stories and lives of others affords so many rich opportunities for engagement and growth - truly - anything is possible in an ELA classroom.

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I teach because I am able to help kids begin to see themselves as worthy individuals who are worth working hard for. ELA because I love how the written word connects us to each other and life's big ideas.

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I teach to reach as many students as I can. Even though I have learned that I can not reach every single one of my students in class. It's those "Aha" or "Oh, I get it now!" moments that I always look forward to. I am an English Learner and was in ELD until I was a sophomore in high school, and I challenged myself everyday with English, which is why I chose ELA and ELD! :)

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I've always loved reading. Since I was young sitting on my floor reading Superman comics or Spider-Man; I have always loved the written/spoken word.

In high school I had a great teacher (Kevin Dolan) who pushed me to be more than what I am.

I want to inspire students the way I was and look for cool and fun ways to evolve the content area (comics in the classroom!)

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I fell in love with reading when my parents divorced. I believe stories help us learn about the world and find new pathways even when we feel lost. I teach ELA because I love to share stories and listen to others' stories. I teach ELA because I want to help others' tell their stories and honor all of the voices and experiences in my community.

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I teach because I liked being a student of teachers who liked being teachers. It was simply their passion coupled with whatever natural inclinations I happened to have that helped me see that the act of making meaning was one of the best ways I could spend my time.