The Lincoln East English Department, consisting of 17 staff members who teach over 35 courses, offers classes from the basic foundations of English 9 and 10 to the hyper specific interests of Detective Fiction or Shakespearean Drama. Students should know there’s little to be intimidated by when it comes to their prospective teachers, as this department is up there with some of the most accepting groups at East.
English classes are an essential part of the school curriculum, fostering creativity and teaching critical thinking. For many students, it can be hard to keep up with all of the reading and writing, but it’s important to recognize how being exposed to the different perspectives within books or having periodic writing assignments aids growth. Personal development is the ultimate goal of English classes.
“Improvement isn’t the right word for it,” Lauren Funk, an English teacher here at East, said. “I want kids to learn to feel proud of, and accomplished in, their writing, and own the good work that they’re doing, and celebrate it.”
Language arts courses require many conversations and personal experiences or viewpoints to be shared that the teachers who facilitate them gain a deep understanding of students, often much faster than teachers of other subjects. East carries no exception– in most classes, it’s clear just from paying attention that students and teachers work together; everyone receives validation and the help that they need. Everyone grows off of each other.
“I think the social aspect, our familiarity with student lives, matters, because when we get into a classroom to read books with heavy topics, you kind of have to have a familiarity and a trust with people,” Sarah Staples-Farmer said. “I say literature mirrors life, and literature gives us the best way to see all of those different ways to live life. We are very passionate about helping students understand that literature can be the gateway to really understanding humanity.”
A very close-knit relationship amongst the team is one of its biggest strengths. In some classrooms you can find framed photos of several English teachers spending time together outside of school. Even members who aren’t explicitly besties with one another still benefit from the willingness to listen and have each other’s backs, sorting through problems together and addressing them at their source as necessary.
“I knew it was a really close department, even before I came to teach at East,” Francesca Rohrs said. “I definitely knew that there was something special going on as far as everybody getting along and really respecting each other, working together, and collaborating well before I even interviewed here.”
This sentiment is shared among many of the teachers in the department. “I just feel like our department is really unified,” Melissa Walburn said. “That’s what makes me want to keep working here, as opposed to a different school, because I love my coworkers. I love the way we approach learning and education, and I know that I wouldn’t find that in other buildings.”
