VanFam Group
6 Followers
Mitchell, Indiana, United States
About the store
In 1990, I stepped into my first teaching position in English/Language Arts. I have been employed by three corporations, but in 1999, I found my home in my current school. I have taught all middle school and high school grade levels as well as dual credit courses through Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College.
2007 brought a new adventure to my career as I accepted the position of corporation librarian where I work with all subject areas and grade levels to develop curriculum and reference materials.
I've been blessed over the past few years to be back in my own dual credit classroom where I am again teaching college composition and literature as well as continuing as the corporation librarian for three libraries in two buildings.
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Healthy Ways to Vent and Destroy Mason Jars
The Mason Jar activity has been a staple in my introduction to literature dual credit course for over 20 years, and I wrote a chapter about it in my book. This resource details how you can use the extended metaphor of a mason jar as an influence of holding students back to help them with their social emotional learning and self-awareness. I've included the entire chapter/letter from my book, The Auspicious You: Letters to Hesitant and Hopeful Young Adults as well as the step-by-step lesson plan
12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
English Language Arts, Social Emotional Learning
CCSS, TEKS
CCRA.L.3
, CCRA.L.5
, LA.9-12.E1.4.C
 +7
Outline of Paragraph Format
Simplicity meets deep thinking with this resource. I've used this paragraph format with all middle school and high school grades, and it has become the foundation of how we teach paragraphing in our department. This product shows the basic parts that each paragraph should contain as well as providing labeled samples of both a narrative and a literary analysis paragraph. The last page is a basic rubric providing for a quick assessment of the skill.
6th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
English Language Arts, Writing-Essays, Writing-Expository
CCSS
CCRA.W.1
, CCRA.W.2
, CCRA.W.4
 +3
Elegy and Notan: Write and Create to Honor a Loss
Students feel a loss for a loved person who has passed away, moved, or grown apart from them. However, young people can also feel intense loss with the passing of a pet or a time period as well. When students realize that a certain year of school is ending or a sense of innocence no longer lives inside of them, they can experience much grief. This unit helps the students sort through these feelings as they write an elegy to honor their loss. If students are not willing or able to dig into the
9th - 12th, Higher Education
Creative Writing, Performing Arts, Poetry
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.2
, CCRA.L.3
 +2
Last Lecture Unit Bundle
My "Last Lecture Unit" is valuable because the reading of the autobiography is paired with classic short stories and poems to elevate the level of difficulty and ability for students to create a higher-level presentation and formal papers. Randy Pausch's lecture is the perfect springboard for a senior-level course with deep discussions and elevated written responses. This bundle has the full three-week syllabus with links to all supplemental readings as well as both assignment sheets and rubrics
11th - 12th, Higher Education
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.2
, CCRA.L.3
 +3
Last Lecture Unit: Final Paper
The final paper for The Last Lecture Unit is a comparative analysis. Students will select one of the short stories or poems covered in the unit to use as a lens to create complexity and develop a thesis. This product is the assignment sheet and rubric for the final paper.
11th - 12th, Higher Education
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.2
, CCRA.L.3
 +3
Also included in:Â Last Lecture Unit Bundle
Last Lecture Unit: 1st Presentation and Rubric
Based in true Pausch fashion, the beginning assignment of the unit puts students in groups to select a subject that needs clarifying before moving deeper into his lecture. The product is a formal presentation. The head fake here is that students will be learning about their peers, group work dynamics, and their own speaking abilities as they think they are only building background knowledge for the rest of the unit. The full rubric is also included in the work.
11th - 12th, Higher Education
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.3
, CCRA.L.4
 +2
Also included in:Â Last Lecture Unit Bundle
The Last Lecture Unit Syllabus: Short Stories and Poems as Lenses
My "Last Lecture Unit" is valuable because the reading of the autobiography is paired with classic short stories and poems to elevate the level of difficulty and ability for students to create a higher-level presentation and formal papers. Randy Pausch's lecture is the perfect springboard for a senior-level course with deep discussions and elevated written responses.
11th - 12th, Higher Education
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing
CCSS
CCRA.L.1
, CCRA.L.2
, CCRA.L.3
 +3
Also included in:Â Last Lecture Unit Bundle
Ready, Set, Decide!
Young adults are constantly faced with major decisions in their lives. This activity will help them move through the decision process and make informed choices.
9th - 12th, Adult Education, Higher Education
School Counseling
CCSS
CCRA.L.3
, CCRA.L.6
7 Guided Peer Review for Mythology Research Based Essay
This guided peer review asks students to review a peer's work in a very specific manner. Students often have trouble with peer review because they do not know how to assess writing. This review worksheet asks pointed questions and helps readers see that conversations about writing go beyond words spelled incorrectly or switching out someone's word choice. This review will help students elevate their skill with engaging in productive conversations about writing.
7th - 9th
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing
CCSS
W.9-10.1d
, W.9-10.2d
, W.9-10.3c
 +1
6 Mythology Essay Introduction Samples
This document can be used interactively through a projection system or in print format. On this document, you will find two introductory paragraph samples. Each is written poorly and then improved to show an exemplar for the students. Furthermore, one of the proper examples is also shown in the outline format so that students can see how to use the outline planning work space to their advantage.
7th - 9th
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing
CCSS
W.9-10.1a
, W.9-10.1d
, W.9-10.2a
 +6
5 Rubric for Mythology Research Based Essay
The rubric follows the outline presented in both documents 3 and 4 of this mythology essay unit. The rubric follows the outline to give students specific feedback on exact spots of the essay where they can improve or where they showed much skill.
7th - 9th
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing
CCSS
W.9-10.1a
, W.9-10.1b
, W.9-10.1c
 +14
4 Outline Work Space for Mythology Research Based Essay
This document follows the essay outline format exactly as shown in the 3 Basic Outline document; however, this printable page provides the students with space to write their own outlines. Students will be assured that they are following the correct format for an essay as they transfer their notes from the 2 Turning Notes into Body Points page onto the specifically organized outline.
7th - 9th
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing-Essays
CCSS
W.9-10.1d
, W.9-10.1e
, W.9-10.2
 +10
Basic Essay Outline for Mythology Research Based Essay
This handout is the overview of the essay's outline.
7th - 9th
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing-Essays
CCSS
W.9-10.1d
, W.9-10.2
, W.9-10.2e
 +3
2 Turning Notes into Body Points
This work page allows students to collect information from their notes and organize it according to essay requirements.
7th - 9th
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing
CCSS
W.9-10.2
, W.9-10.2a
, W.9-10.2b
 +10
1 Source Notes for Research Based Essay
The students need to have one of these pages filled out for each resource used. For this basic research essay, three to four resources can offer information with students using only two to three of them. This Source Notes page forces students to look for bibliographic information on each source to make sure the source is valid, and it also allows teachers to discuss how to take notes by hand so that plagiarism will not happen. No cutting and pasting information allowed.
7th - 9th
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing-Essays
CCSS
W.9-10.2d
, W.9-10.6
, W.9-10.7
 +3
Mythology Research Based Essay
This essay instruction is for the culminating paper of a mythology unit. Each student chooses a different god/goddess to research, and then the essay comes from the research. The documents are numbered and will take students through each step of the process from recording source information to a peer review and rubric. This assignment is specific to using library book sources and only one online resource, the WorldBook Online. These requirements can be easily updated on the documents without cha
7th - 9th
English Language Arts, Literature, Writing-Essays
CCSS
W.9-10.1c
, W.9-10.1d
, W.9-10.2
 +16
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About the store
Experience
In 1990, I stepped into my first teaching position in English/Language Arts. I have been employed by three corporations, but in 1999, I found my home in my current school. I have taught all middle school and high school grade levels as well as dual credit courses through Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College.
2007 brought a new adventure to my career as I accepted the position of corporation librarian where I work with all subject areas and grade levels to develop curriculum and reference materials.
I've been blessed over the past few years to be back in my own dual credit classroom where I am again teaching college composition and literature as well as continuing as the corporation librarian for three libraries in two buildings.
Teaching style
I build a community in my classroom, and my delivery is very motherly. My students know that I will tell them the truth even if they do not want to hear it. I expect them to elevate their efforts, skills, and identities as we move through challenging coursework. Everyone in my room has a voice, and all of my students join me in conversations about effective communication and how to improve their reading, writing, and speaking.
My curriculum is sequential because I believe in the process of introducing materials for the first time in step-by-step increments. Then, I build on previous lessons throughout the semester, culminating in major research projects where they must use all of the skills to be successful.
Awards & shining teacher moments
* Selected by Indiana Arts Commission as a Fellow for Creative Teaching, May 2023
*My poems selected by Indiana State Library to be included in this year's INverse Poetry Archive, May 2023
*Published online with Christian Educators, April 2023
*Finalist for Ivy Tech Community College/Bloomington Dual-Credit Instructor of the Year, February 2023
*Published online with YouVersion, January 2023
*Author Academy Elite, Selected as member and author, January 2019
*Most Influential Educator, Awarded by Independent Colleges of Indiana, November 2017
My own education history
*Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana / Bloomington, Adjunct Instructor, 2019-present
*Indiana University / Bloomington, Adjunct Instructor, 1999-2021
*Indiana University, Masters of Library Sciences, honor graduate, 1996
*Indiana State University, BS in English,1990
*Bloomfield High School, 1986
Additional biographical information
I married my high school sweetheart in 1990, and our twins were born seven years later. We love spending time with family and traveling.
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