Writing and Student Motivation

       Welcome to my website.  I am a high school English teacher from Michigan.  In my eleven years of teaching, I have taught language arts at the middle school level, composition courses at the college level, and I am currently teaching Advanced Placement English and American Literature courses at an inner city high school.

    Throughout my experiences as an inner city teacher, I have been curious about why some students are highly motivated while others seem content to barely scrape by in school.   I began questioning my students, trying to see if I could learn a "key to motivation" from the successful students and help the less motivated students become more successful in school.   Still seeking ways to learn more about student motivation, I began reading books and journal articles, observing students, and interviewing teachers.  This website is my attempt to make sense of all that I have learned and to share some of the insights I have gained with other teachers.  It is my hope that by using this information, we can all find ways to reach more of our students and to give all of our students more hope for having a bright, successful future.  Below, I have included links to internet resources that may be helpful to other teachers and researchers, as well as to parents and students.