Sarah J. Donovan, PhD (s/her)

Sarah J. Donovan, PhD, is a former junior English language arts teacher of fifteen years and an Assistant Professor of Secondary English Education at Oklahoma State University. She wrote Genocide Literature in Middle and Secondary Classrooms (2016) and the young adult novel, Alone Together (2018). Dr. Donovan was the Books in Review columnist for The ALAN Review (2019) and serves as a state representative and board member for The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE (ALAN). She hosts a weekly blog, Ethical ELA, and has contributed chapters to The Best Lesson Series (Talks with Teachers, 2018), Queer Adolescent Literature as a Complement to the English Language Arts Curriculum (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018), Moving Beyond Personal Loss to Societal Grieving (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018), and Contending with Gun Violence in the English Language Classroom (Routledge, 2019).

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The Pride and Shame of Sharing: Who do I think I am?

There is a big brown envelope in my school mailbox on Tuesday. I order a lot of books from Amazon, but this is not from Amazon; it is from Harvard Press. Inside are two copies of the book Inside Our Schools: Teachers on the Failure …

Pre-Challenge Practice Poem: What advice would you give…

To warm up for our 30-poem celebration (and to test the website), let’s try a pre-challenge poem. Here is today’s poem inspiration but, as always, the prompt is only a suggestion, just poem any way you wish. Inspiration: Imagine you are grown up and have a …

Time to Compare: An Essay of Noticing with YA Lit

“Good afternoon, so this is the final week of the quarter,” I announce to my seventh grade reading class. They have spent the morning with the state mandated PARCC test, and we are in an alternate classroom while the eighth graders take their test. It’s …

Sena Kose: In the Middle of Student Teaching (part 6 of 6)

Sena Kose is currently a pre-service teacher from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  She began her student teaching experience in January 2017, and plans to graduate with a certificate to teach English in grades 6-12 in May 2017. This is the final post in a …

Jessica Arl: Beginning as a Long-Term Sub (part 5 of 6)

Jessica Arl is currently a long-term substitute teacher in our school.  She student taught with me in the Spring of 2016 and graduated in December 2016 with a certificate to teach English in grades 6-12 from the University of Illinois at Chicago. This is post five …

Gabbi McArtor: First Year (part 4 of 6)

Gabbi McArtor is in her first year teaching.  She student taught with me in the Spring of 2015 and graduated in May 2016 with a certificate to teach K-8 from Illinois State University. This is post four of six in a series about student teaching, mentoring, and …

Amy Estanislao: On Humanity, High-Stakes Tests, and Worksheets (part 3 of 6)

Amy Estanislao is a teacher in Chicago Public Schools.  She student taught with me in the Spring of 2014 and graduated in May 2015 with a certificate to teach 6-12 from the University of Illinois at Chicago. This is post three of six in a series …

Madeline LaLonde: Feeling Safe, Cared About, and Respected (part 2 of 6)

Madeline LaLonde is in her fourth year of teaching as a fourth grade teacher in Geneva, Illinois.  She taught with me in the Fall of 2012 and graduated in May 2013 with a certificate to teach K-8 from Illinois State University. This is post two …

The Coaching Tree for Teachers (part 1 of 6)

Over blueberry pancakes and coffee on Saturday morning, my husband, Dan, interrupts my weekly recap of teaching to say, “Have you ever heard of the coaching tree? You are talking about the teaching tree.” I was talking about lesson planning with my student teacher. What …