Welcome to “Ed In between”. I’m an eighth grade LA teacher in Connecticut. I have a PhD in Curriculum and Teaching with a focus on Literacy and I’m a parent to three young sons. In so many ways, literacy education affects all aspects of my life and I often find myself teaching in between the busy moments of my life.
Slice of Life, Day 2
Teeth. My middle son is headstrong and determined. He can command a room, but also super-focus on Legos, 3D printing or any series by Dav Pilkey. He can be stubborn and bossy, but that all changes as we pull into the parking lot. My wheels crunching over a few rocks as I turn into the…
Slice of Life, Day 1
Remodeling. The play space in my house is about to change. For twelve years, it has been a total kid zone. Messy. Cluttered. Full of life, crafting and way too many legos. When we moved to CT after the birth of my first son, I put the TV in the basement and insisted on no…
Advice to friends of small children
Recently a friend of mine recently reached out to me for advice about literacy development regarding his daughter. I’m sharing my response here (names changed obvs) … Thanks for waiting for this response. It took me a minute to gather all my thoughts into a clear draft. I’m hoping to give you some concrete avenues…
I used to… but now I
I used to plan to the minute, but now I don’t. Lesson planning is an integral part of teaching, but a strong plan does not always translate into a strong lesson. It’s taken me a long time to embrace that fact. Over the last 10 years of my 17 year career as an educator, my…
Writing Our Way Through: What Teaching During COVID-19 Can Teach Us About the Power of Authentic Writing
This is a piece I wrote in July for Writers Who Care. It is a reflection on how authentic writing connected me and my students during distance learning in the spring of 2020.
Hire Me
I’ve seen a lot (18 years of teaching experience /all grades secondary certificate (7-12) /occasional adjunct professor)
I’ve been around (both urban and suburban school systems/ public and charter)
I’ve seen both sides (Currently teaching full time, former department chair)
If you are looking for a secondary educator who knows the ins and outs of middle and high school LA instruction with a sense of humility and humor. Contact me!
Work With Me
My research centers around authentic literacy motivation with a focus on writing. My dissertation title “Exploring what motivates adolescent males to compose in digital format” highlights my interests in writing instruction, digital composition, motivation and adolescent male literacy engagement.
Recently, I’ve written about the importance of synthesis in research work, the impact of Covid 19 on writing practice, the challenge of lesson planning and nuanced approaches to the classics.
If any of that sounds interesting to you, let me know! I’d love to write or present with you! Contact me at mcwalker39@gmail.com.
About Me
Middle School LA teacher, Former NYC Charter School Teacher/Leader, Interested in authentic literacy motivation (main focus on writing motivation), mom to three boys. she/her
18 years in the classroom (and counting), PhD in Literacy, Language and Learning from Fordham University ’17. Taught high school in CT, 7th grade at NHACS in NYC, Lead the English Department at NHACS in NYC, currently teaching in New Canaan, CT
Hiking, Writing, Reading, Travel and everything in between
MC Walker 