Hello and welcome to Mr. C Spills the Tea! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Matthew and I am a high school English teacher in Brooklyn, New York. This is my third year teaching so I’m pretty new, but I have learned so much from my experiences the last few years. I love teaching and figured this might be a great time to start a blog to not only track my own progress as a teacher but to help others out there with tips and tricks I have learned from my day to day experiences.
In my short time as a teacher, I have taught 9th and 11th grades, and I am currently teaching 12th. Each grade comes with its challenges, but I’ve found 12th grade to be the most rewarding. With standardized tests out of the way and a certain level of maturity (well, for most!), I find myself able to push them towards college readiness with more engaging lessons without always having to teach to the test. More than anything, I love teaching them because they are actual human beings. They are able to have deep, intellectual conversations, and I always find myself learning new things from them.
Throughout my time as a teacher, I have been blessed with incredible mentors to learn and grow from. They have taught me so much, and it’s because of them I have been able to soar and develop my own practice. Although my school is far from being 1:1, I am Google Educator certified and have drastically changed my classroom with the incorporation of technology. As I continue to experiment with all technology has to offer, I will share it with you all in an effort to minimize stress and help you reclaim your weekends. I have also begun experimenting with Standards Based Grading so I will continue to keep you abreast of how that plays out. I am by no means an expert in any of this; I am on this journey of trial and error with you, and hopefully, we can learn from each other.
I hope to keep my blog updated regularly, but I am currently in grad school pursuing my Masters in Creative Writing so I have a lot on my plate. That being said, I am excited to begin this journey with you all and I will do my best to bring you the latest from my whirlwind life of teaching. Be sure to subscribe and give me a follow on Instagram for a look into my classroom!
6 Comments
Ariel Bealer
February 2, 2018 at 2:48 amYou might be living my dream life! Teaching HS English was my dream (currently in 4th), and I fell in love with Brooklyn this Dec while visiting my best friend (she just moved there), AND a masters in Creative Writing! I look forward to reading your future posts.
mrcspillsthetea
June 13, 2018 at 5:16 pmThank you! Brooklyn is such an awesome place to live.
Rolla
February 9, 2018 at 12:43 amAll the best to you Matthew.. I am just stepping in to blogging and you encouraged me more now!
mrcspillsthetea
February 21, 2018 at 1:31 pmAww, thank you! I wish you all the best!
Amy
May 25, 2018 at 12:50 amI have a bachelors degree in creative writing! How’s it going?
mrcspillsthetea
June 13, 2018 at 5:17 pmOh that’s awesome! I love the program. Creative writing is something that I have always loved so finally getting time where I’m forced to write time my ideas is exactly what I needed.