Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...

So, who am I, you might ask? (Or not...) Well, I guess you know that I'm your lit teacher for the year. Good to know. But what else might help you out? Because we all know that knowing your grader in some way helps give you an edge on how to write your papers, right? It's all about pleasing the teacher and pandering to their tastes, right?! Right?! Um.... sorry, but that'd be a big 'negatory' for me. I don't want to see anybody in here writing what they think I want to hear. I mean, aspire to something new and different that I might have talked about in class, absolutely, but also write what you want. I'm here to help you become the best writers and versions of yourselves.

So, the things you may/may not want to know about me, in no particular order or importance are:
 *drumroll please

• I'm not a teacher by craft, I'm a massage therapist. (with degrees in history and English. Go figure!) Teaching just kind of happened. Still, this might be a good time to share my philosophy: I'm not here to teach you facts. You can find facts on the internet or in the paper or in a book (gasp!). I'm here to A) try to help you find the best way to find those facts, checking for credibility and integrity, and then B) to try to inspire you to use these intangible and painfully abstract things that are so interesting, and try to see if you can apply them to some real-life skills (Because we can't all be academics! Nor should we all aspire to be, honestly. I hardly consider myself one.)
• I paint. So if I seem a bit unkempt... that's why. 
• I home brew. 
• I garden. 
• I'm a playwright. 
• I have a spazz-tastic lab mix, a spotted mini lop, and a long-haired white cat who keep my home (and my clothes) permanently furry. 
• If you don't like ska, skacore, 90's alternative, indie rock, or folk, you're probably not going to appreciate my music much... but that's ok. Introduce me to some of yours. 
• I'm an upcycler, a tailor, a thrifter, and I'm not going to apologize for it. Craigslist. Freecycle. Pinterest. They sustain me. Make do and mend, I always say. 

And at this point, I seem a bit tapped out. If you're interested in any of these things, well, maybe I'll talk about them in class some time.