Dana Chamberlain, high school English teacher
Q: What classes do you teach?
A: I teach English II, which are sophomores, and I teach Graphic Novel and Writers Workshop.
Q: What would you say is your favorite class to teach?
A: To teach I would say it’s my sophomores. What we get to do in there in terms of curriculum is really exciting. We get to do some dystopian fiction. The title of that course is ‘Social Justice and the Human Condition in Literature’, so it really hits home in a really kind of direct way with what’s going on both in the world as a larger whole and what’s going on locally.
Q: What were you doing before working at GCAA?
A: Before working at GCAA I was substitute teaching. I was full time in graduate school, I just got my masters in english education from Webster. Before substitute teaching and grad school, I was working for a publishing company.
Q: Which publishing company?
A: Siglio Press.
Q: What is something that you want people to know about you?
A: One of the things I want my students to know is that I’m here for them, as a person, and as a resource. One of the big things I’m trying to encourage with my students this year, both sophomores and upperclassmen, is to self-advocate. Know what you need and get help. A lot of students I’ve noticed are either afraid to or don’t know how to ask for help. And my syllabus is like my office hours. I’m here before school, I’m here after school, I’m here during advisory. I’m here to work with you, but you have to talk to me.
Q: What would be your long term goal for students or for your class?
A: That! To learn how to advocate for themselves.
Q: What are you most looking forward to at GCAA?
A: I’m most looking forward to, really our focus this year, or at least we’ve been talking on the teacher school wide level is really trying to focus on more arts integration. So that’s something that school wide we’re focused on, it’s something that I’m excited to be able to get to do more of in the classroom. And I’m fortunate enough in English it’s easier than maybe some other course to start bringing in some of those arts pieces into making those multiple like motile connections.
Q : As a teacher, what do you think is the best method for learning ? Or what is your view on student learning?
A: Here’s my philosophy on that; I don’t think there is one best way. Students learn in a variety of ways and depending on what it is you’re teaching. It’s not just like, “Oh, I’m one kind of learner and I learn the best this way,” It’s also depending on what they’re learning about that day it can change, like subject to subject you need to be able to change how you’re teaching it. I try to have multiple things going on at once all the time. One thing I try to do is have kids get up and move and actually interact with what we’re doing. Having that variety, having that constant educational stimulation is really important to making sure every student is engaged with the material.
Q: Is there anything else you want to add?
A: I’m really excited to be here. I think you guys are honestly one of the coolest high-schools, at least in this part of Missouri. I was looking it up and I think you guys are one of the only arts focused high-schools in the state. Every kid here is interesting and that’s really exciting from a teacher’s perspective.