A Colorful Glimpse Into the Soul -- Kyle

How can I reconcile the sheer number of possibilities? How much fun can I have trying to mix and match the limitless options? How many of my students will think I’m crazy because of my choices? These are just a few of the questions that plague my mind every morning when I start to plan out my day. But am I talking about all the instructional decisions I have to make over the course of a day? Don’t be silly! I am, of course, speaking of deciding what to wear to school everyday.

Each day I wake up, confront my wardrobe, and coolly pick out an outfit, which will invariably be described as some member of the animal kingdom as soon as I walk into my room. “Mr. Minner, you look like a turtle today.” (Green shirt, orange tie) “Today you look like a dolphin!” (Light blue shirt, periwinkle tie) “Hey, you look like a blue jay. But a brown one. Yeah, you look like a brown blue jay!” (Gray shirt with multicolored stripes, blue tie, and a brown sports coat). And you know what? I love it! I revel in trying to be as flamboyant and colorful as possible every day without seeming like a crazy person. It brightens up my day when I feel like I’m having fun just because I’m wearing fun clothes. Even if my day is on the brink of disaster, I simply have to look down, admire the unique choice I made, and smile.

Having an interesting wardrobe has more benefits than you might think. Not only does it ensure that I enjoy at least a small part of every day, my students are able to see a part of my personality. They are able to know me as a person, not just as their teacher; so far, this has resulted in increased motivation, a safer classroom environment, and an overall sense of jollity and enjoyment in my room. Having a personality and, most importantly, showing it to my students makes me a real person—a real person who they like. And from my experience thus far, if students like you, they are much more likely to work for you. They are much more likely to enjoy being in your classroom. Most of all, they are much more likely to learn from you because they want to pay attention.

Of course, I do not believe that everyone should suddenly start wearing neon green and bright pink (now there’s an idea…), but I do believe that your wardrobe should mirror your personality. If you can give your students just a small glimpse of yourself, your time in the classroom will be much more enjoyable—especially if you go out and get a brand new seersucker sports coat.

Where a kid can be a kid -- Kyle

Imagine a place where students actually perk up when they are asked to do something in class. Imagine a group of students who are so motivated to learn about seemingly boring texts like The Odyssey and Great Expectations that they finish their books weeks before the final reading is due. Imagine a classroom that is actively engaged for an entire ninety minutes in pursuit of an education based around discovering deep and influential meanings of literature. Now imagine that I have been given such a class for my student teaching experience.

Unbelievable, I know, yet I have proof! This Monday, obviously a day when students do not want to be awake at 7:20, let alone working, I taught a lesson on archetypal theory in The Odyssey. Archetypal theory is essentially the universal idea of the hero’s journey, which is wonderfully modeled by Odysseus’s quest to return to Ithaca. Needless to say, the ideas presented were highly sophisticated, and I worried that my students may be turned off by the difficult content on an unfortunate day. My worries proved groundless; the class jumped enthusiastically into my planned activities. To make the concepts easier, I presented the theory to them through “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strips, and my students immediately wanted to assume the roles of the precocious youngster and his imaginary, yet oh-so-real, stuffed tiger. When I introduced markers and chart paper, the lesson practically ran itself. They were even excited to stand in front of the class and present what they learned over the course of the day.

No one is more surprised than I to discover that teaching the 9th grade is a wonder and a delight. When I first engendered the idea of being a teacher, I wholeheartedly believed that only the upper echelons of the high school strata would do for me. I wanted to teach 11th or 12th grade literature because I was under the impression that those students were the only ones who could discuss the merits, or lack thereof, of the literary works that I studied in college. I am quickly discovering, however, that while my AP 12 class is challenging and exciting, I am having far too much fun with my 9th graders to dismiss them to the void of subjects that I will never teach.

I have found that 9th grade lies in that strange time between the social awkwardness of middle school and the stratified society of high school. As such, my students are willing to act like children, yet conduct themselves with a surprising sense of maturity. Because I myself am a child at heart, I await every 7:20 AM with great anticipation and excitement. That is the time that I am forever surprised and forever overjoyed that I find myself teaching the 9th grade.

More Amazing Teachers

Abri is teaching twelfth grade government. She is most looking forward to being in the classroom every day so that she can learn more about herself as a teacher and experience what it is like to teach something beyond a single lesson.




Kelly is teaching Algebra II and Math Analysis to grades 9 through 12. During student teaching she is looking forward to trying out ideas like Parabola Playtime, getting to know her students, and building confidence as a teacher.






Tom is teaching tenth grade World Geography and ninth grade World History. He is looking forward to finally getting a true taste of what the teaching profession actually looks like as well as being able to help all these students learn about history and being good citizens. He is also excited to share those experiences with all who will read this blog.

Sara is teaching sixth grade Early American History. She is mostly looking forward to working with her students all the time!

Kyle is teaching ninth grade English and twelfth grade AP Literature and Language. He is most looking forward to beginning his professional career, which in the case of teaching is improving the lives and futures of children.




Johnny Mac is teaching eleventh grade AP U.S. history, the social studies portion of eleventh grade Advanced American Studies, and Law and Society for students in grades 10-12. He is co-teaching the American Studies class with Bex. Johnny Mac is most looking forward to being a good thief and finding a lot of resources related to his content area to expand his repertoire during student teaching.

Bex is teaching AP English Humanities Enhanced and co-teaching Advanced American Studies with Johnny Mac. It has been a long journey to this point, and she is excited to finally be in the classroom. She is most looking forward to getting to know her students better and learning how to best teach them. Bex is eager to explore different areas of teaching and to hone her skills so she can become an awesome English teacher.

Clifton is teaching eleventh grade US History, IB twelth grade Geography, and IB eleventh grade History of America. He is most looking forward to teaching students with different skills and abilities while trying to meet their needs.