All About Ms. Moss
Who I Am
Hello, my name is Heather Moss and on this Smore flyer, I will tell you a little bit about me, my teaching experience, and my teaching style. First off, I am very excited to be on summer break and am looking forward to some much needed pool time, as you can probably tell from my background! I participated in the May, 2016 Avila graduation ceremony, and I am looking forward to completing Effective Instruction and receiving my diploma in August. A few of my interests include spending time with my family and boyfriend, reading, playing with my cat, Cecilia, and going on road trips.
This is a picture of me with my grandma, Barbara, at graduation last month. She is a retired special education teacher, and she is one of my primary influences when it comes to education as well as one of the most important people in my life.
Where I Teach
I just finished my fourth year of teaching at F.L. Schlagle High School in Kansas City, Kansas. I have taught English II, or sophomore English, every year I have been at Schlagle, and I team-taught a Youth Entrepreneurs course this past year as well. Students in Youth Entrepreneurs are focused on building a business plan in preparation for the business plan competition at the end of the year, and I mainly focused on helping students to improve their writing. However, I learned quite a bit about the business world as well, and I'm looking forward to assisting students with their business plans again next year.
In the English II classroom, I enjoy teaching students about the technical aspects of writing and their importance and giving them plenty of opportunities to practice and become better writers. I also enjoy teaching poetry and helping student to see how they can express themselves through writing. My favorite book to teach is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak because it really shows how words can forever alter the world in both very positive and very negative ways. I want my students to understand how powerful language is, and that having strong communication skills empowers them to change the world.
In the English II classroom, I enjoy teaching students about the technical aspects of writing and their importance and giving them plenty of opportunities to practice and become better writers. I also enjoy teaching poetry and helping student to see how they can express themselves through writing. My favorite book to teach is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak because it really shows how words can forever alter the world in both very positive and very negative ways. I want my students to understand how powerful language is, and that having strong communication skills empowers them to change the world.
Silver City Days Parade - F.L. Schlagle High School (Uptown Funk)
One of my favorite things about teaching at Schlagle is getting to hear our marching band. I've always loved marching bands, and I think Schlagle's is especially great. A warning: There is a whistle at the start of this video that is quite loud, so you might want to turn down your volume a little!
My Teaching Style
I'm very interested in teaching lessons that will make my students the best communicators and readers possible. I want my students to be able to express their ideas in clear and interesting ways, and I want them to be able to think critically about what they read and make informed decisions about what they believe. Lastly, I care deeply about learning how my students can develop "grit" or a willingness to persevere when things are difficult. Just as you don't get stronger by lifting weights that are too light for you, you also don't get more intelligent by only doing what is easy. My students must be willing to face challenges if they are to find success and happiness in life, so it is very important to me to teach my students that failure and struggle are natural parts of growth and nothing to be afraid or ashamed of.
Inspirational movie about the meaning of "Grit"
I love how the little boy narrating this video defines grit!