This year marks the beginning of my 23rd year teaching English/ELA. I began my career in 1993 teaching 11th and 12th grade English at John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers, NY, where I stayed for eight years before I began teaching in Wappingers NY in 2001. I started at John Jay HS teaching 12th grade English. The following year, I traveled between John Jay and Van Wyck JHS, teaching both 10th and 7th grades, and was drawn to the enthusiasm of the middle school students. I have been teaching 8th grade ELA for 12 years, and also began teaching 7th grade again last year. In 2012, I achieved National Board Certification, which was by far the best professional development experience I have participated in.