Colin O'Neill

For the past three years, I have been blessed to work with middle school students, helping them to discover a love of reading. After two years in Northern California, where I taught in a self-contained, sixth grade classroom, I moved to my hometown of Chicago, IL to teach Reading to 140 seventh and eighth grade students. In addition to my classroom teaching, I serve as the moderator of the school newspaper and act as director for our drama department.

I believe in making learning a real and applicable experience for all students. I strive to help my students make connections to the outside world, reminding them constantly that reading does not exist in a vacuum. Literature, I believe is a vehicle for social change, and I work to develop units that question students' assumptions and push them to "be the change" they wish to see in the world. Through Socratic seminars and discussions, I encourage my students to ask meaningful questions of the world. Utilizing a healthy blend of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, I challenge my students to see the ways in which texts of all genres and styles interact with each other in unexpected, yet illuminating ways.

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I currently hold a B.A. in American Studies from University of Notre Dame, where I also pursued minors in Educational Schooling and Society and Poverty Studies. In 2015, I earned my M.A.T through the University of Portland's Pacific Alliance for Catholic Education.

I was born and raised in Chicago, IL and have spent the past twenty-two years as a student and teacher in Catholic education. I believe strongly in Catholic education, but believe my resources are applicable to students and teachers in any educational setting. Outside of school, I am an avid runner. I have run four half marathons (1:35 PR), and I am currently spending my afternoons training for my first full marathon.