Welcome to Ms. Santagada's Home Page - Global Lit -English 10 / Creative Writing
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Welcome to my webpage! For the last seventeen years, I have been an English teacher in Highland. I am personally committed to building strengths in today's learners that will be critical for them to possess in the 21st century. Currently I am teaching sophomore English and junior English, but have taught all levels, grades 7-12. I have also taught summer school locally for 10 summers, which has helped me build strategies for students at risk. To remain relevant it is imperative to keep a pulse on research, best practices, and educational policies, and so I am involved in leadership positions, participate in workshops, and provide trainings to local educators. I believe in the power of language to validate our personal voices, to transform our circumstances, to foster empathy, and to improve the quality of our lives. My classes focus on cultivating the Habits of Mind while meeting or exceeding the Common Core standards for English / Language Arts. For several years I have organized enrichment opportunities that have brought talented writers and luminaries to work closely with HHS students. In my ELA instruction, I maintain high expectations, ask students for deep thinking, and always keep a sense of humor handy. We work on projects that require a variety of skills and focus on meaningful concepts. I strive to make sure that my students feel like important people, that they know their voices and needs matter to me.These are some important websites for the big picture of American education:
http://www.instituteforhabitsofmind.com/
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/index.shtml