Content Knowledge
As an English major, my content area classes were all over the place: Chaucer, Shakespeare, British Romantic Literature, the American Short Story, African-American Literature of the 20th century, and Fantasy Fiction in the UK. But I like the think I've tried a bit of everything and that sharing that eclectic variety can be a strength in the classroom when you are trying to keep students engaged. However, my emphasis was Creative Writing, and writing is where my expertise lies. Between my creative writing classes and my literature classes, I felt my professors inspired and pushed me to improve myself as a writer. Each semester, I had to adjust to teacher expectations (every professor seemed to have different expectations when writing and formatting essays for their class). This culminated in my honors college thesis, a collection of short stories, and my largest body of writing to date.
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I graduated Summa Cum Laude at the University of Mississippi, having majored in English Literature and double minored in Chemistry and Studio Art. The quality of my work has always been a top priority for me. I worked toward career goals much in the same manner I pursued my educational goals. And I carried those high expectations into my classroom. Despite my love of reading and writing, I initially wanted to teach Chemistry. In 2015, though, the demand for English teachers was high and Chemistry teaching positions weren't forthcoming. I passed both the Chemistry and English Praxis with scores well above the state's minimum passing score. I have yet to utilize my Chemistry endorsement, but it widens my versatility as a teacher.
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Read further on how I built curricula based on content knowledge: Creating a Coherent Summer Curriculum
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