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Inquiry Pond

Rated 4.9 out of 5, based on 49 reviews
26 Followers
Texas, United States
About the store
I have been an English teacher for 33 years: education is my LIFE, and I love it. As a public school teacher, I've taught middle and high school English - AP, dual enrollment, preAP, GT, ESL, and inclusion. I also teach research and rhetoric courses for both College Board and dual enrollment. I am certified to teach English/Language Arts, EC-6th grade, ESL, SpEd Inclusion, and to be a Principal.
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Preview of Vocabulary Seating Game: Tone Words

Vocabulary Seating Game: Tone Words

Created by
Inquiry Pond
Get your students moving and engaged from the moment they enter with this Vocabulary Seating Challenge. In this game, students receive a word and have to find the matching category. They may have to "CHEAT" and look up the words! You can guide them into specific groups or let them work more freely, and it’s easy to adjust for any class size. I usually let them move around and select before the bell and then check/fix their seating just after the bell. You can do this at any time during the c
Preview of Hero’s Journey Movie Analysis + Ancient Meets Modern Archetype Project

Hero’s Journey Movie Analysis + Ancient Meets Modern Archetype Project

Created by
Inquiry Pond
This two-part assignment brings mythology and modern storytelling together in a structured, high-engagement project. Students begin by analyzing a film through the complete arc of the Hero’s Journey, clearly explaining how key moments align with each stage of the heroic cycle — from Ordinary World to Transformation. Then, students shift from analysis to creation. In the Ancient Meets Modern writing task, students design their own modern-day archetype, defining its traits, values, strengths, fea
Preview of Adrift and The Odyssey Crossover Response

Adrift and The Odyssey Crossover Response

Created by
Inquiry Pond
Perfect companion to "Adrift - Close Reading and Mentor Text for Writing". EXCELLENT to fit into The Odyssey unit. See my EPIC PARTY activity for The Odyssey! The attached is a crossover activity between the short excerpt from a literary non-fiction novel by Steven Callahan titled Adrift: Lost at Sea for Seventy-Six Days and The Odyssey. This autobiography is still in print, so you can purchase it if you’d like to read more: I highly recommend it! It is one of the most profound reading e
Preview of Pecha Kucha Project for ELA | Complete Bundle

Pecha Kucha Project for ELA | Complete Bundle

Created by
Inquiry Pond
This complete bundle gives teachers everything needed to run a Hero’s Pecha Kucha project with confidence. It includes student directions, a step-by-step Pecha Kucha guide, a planner to organize speeches and slides, and a detailed grading rubric. Students will plan and deliver a visual, timed presentation while analyzing a hero’s journey, integrating research, and building public speaking skills. The planner helps them organize ideas, assign speaking roles, and align slides with their speech, en
Preview of Hero’s Journey in Action: A Pecha Kucha Biography Project

Hero’s Journey in Action: A Pecha Kucha Biography Project

Created by
Inquiry Pond
Bring storytelling/biography, analysis, and presentation skills together with this Hero’s Pecha Kucha Project, a structured yet creative assignment that challenges students to explore a hero through concise, visual storytelling. In this project, students apply the Pecha Kucha format (20 slides, 20 seconds each) to analyze a hero’s journey, achievements, or impact. The directions walk students step-by-step through expectations, content requirements, and pacing—making this project easy to launch a
Preview of MLA Works Cited Page Example (Properly Formatted Model for High School & College

MLA Works Cited Page Example (Properly Formatted Model for High School & College

Created by
Inquiry Pond
This MLA Works Cited page example provides students with a clean, properly formatted model they can use during research writing. Pulled from one of my graduate-level research paper, this example demonstrates accurate MLA formatting, correct hanging indents, consistent spacing, and a variety of source types. It offers students a real-world model of what polished academic citation looks like. Perfect for high school or early college classrooms, this resource can be used as a teaching example, proj
Preview of 20 Slides. One Hero. A Pecha Kucha Storytelling Challenge

20 Slides. One Hero. A Pecha Kucha Storytelling Challenge

Created by
Inquiry Pond
Bring storytelling, analysis, and presentation skills together with this Pecha Kucha Project, a structured yet creative assignment that challenges students to explore a hero through concise, visual storytelling. In this project, students apply the Pecha Kucha format (20 slides, 20 seconds each) to analyze a hero’s journey, achievements, or impact. The directions walk students step-by-step through expectations, content requirements, and pacing—making this project easy to launch and easy for stud
Preview of Tired of presentations with students READING? Time to PECHA KUCHA!

Tired of presentations with students READING? Time to PECHA KUCHA!

Created by
Inquiry Pond
This is PERFECT if you're sick of watching students READ FROM THE SCREEN when presenting. It's the Pecha Kucha!! It works with any topic. I've tried it with MANY. This resource provides clear, teacher-tested (me...I'm TEACHER) presentation rules for implementing a Hero’s Pecha Kucha project in the classroom. This quick student-facing guide sets specific expectations for the presentation, helping ensure consistency and academic rigor across student presentations. The directions emphasize: P
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About the store

Experience

I have been an English teacher for 33 years: education is my LIFE, and I love it. As a public school teacher, I've taught middle and high school English - AP, dual enrollment, preAP, GT, ESL, and inclusion. I also teach research and rhetoric courses for both College Board and dual enrollment. I am certified to teach English/Language Arts, EC-6th grade, ESL, SpEd Inclusion, and to be a Principal.

Teaching style

I like to change things up quite a bit because I get bored with one particular teaching style. I'm eclectic, but I get results! I have regularly experienced a 94-99% passing rate on state mandated tests and 90-100% passing rates in the research and rhetoric courses I teach. I tend to motivate more toward workshop and student-centered activities, with conferencing being the activity I love the MOST.

Awards & shining teacher moments

Dean’s List; Alpha Chi National Honor Society Who’s Who Among American High School Teachers Nominee for Disney’s American Teacher Award High commended ratings, usually reaching toward or surpassing 70% of my students Gold Performance Acknowledgment for commended performance in English/Language Arts Special invitation by my principal to take part in the School Improvement Committee, on which we've analyzed data and worked toward finding solutions to enhance student learning collaboratively Superintendent Advisory Team Completed Masters in Educational Administration program with a 4.0 grade point average. High passing rates in all courses I teach and have taught at the middle and high school level.

My own education history

I hold a Masters in Educational Administration. I have written curriculum guides for school districts as extra income and have worked collaboratively with some of the most amazing people in education. DuFour anyone?

Additional biographical information

I have lived in various places around the world. I LOVE traveling!