Name? Mel Glenn
Current position? Retired teacher now teaching for the union (UFT). I am teaching poetry and creative writing.
How long have you been in education? I have been in education my whole adult life – two years in the Peace Corps, (in Sierra Leone,); three years English teacher, junior high school; 31 years, English teacher, high school; writer of 12 YA books.
What’s a little known fact about you? I play serious table tennis once a week.
When does your job feel the hardest? Now teaching is a lot easier, few discipline problems with adults, but high school had its good days and bad. The number of students you’re responsible for in high school is daunting, (35 x 5 = 175 students a day).
What helps you get through those hard days? What gives me strength is occasionally you say or do something that resonates. Recently, I had a former student who said, “Do you remember what you said to me in 1984?” “No,” I answered, “I have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast.” What got me through a tough day is the true knowledge that the next day would probably be better.
What makes your heart sing as a teacher? Now teaching retired teachers, I am thrilled when someone who has never written a poem before volunteers to read a recent piece. I feel happy and proud when that poem is read and the class applauds.
Can you describe a recent day or moment like that? This happened a few weeks ago when Muriel read her poem on trees.
Who was your favorite teacher and why? My favorite teacher was my high school English teacher, Ms. Gordon, who was the first one to encourage my creative writing. Years later, I was a teacher/writer with 12 published books.
Five items you can’t teach without? Deliberately old school: chalk, paper, pen, plan book, marking book. I am bit lost in the technological age and wish my cell phone had a rotary dial.
Three books you would recommend to a fellow teacher? Impossible to name. Just read EVERYTHING you can. Follow your passions. It will make you a better teacher
Social Media/On-Line teaching tools: What are 2-3 sites that you use to support your teaching? As indicated, I am not a technical person, but I use Google the most.
Best teaching advice you ever got? The best advice I ever got was from my first experience as a student teacher in Indiana, prior to my Peace Corps service. The cooperating teacher said, “Just be yourself, have fun, I’m going out for a moment.” He was gone the whole period. I learned by doing, slowly building self-confidence.
Advice you would give to a new teacher or something you learned that you wished had known earlier in your career? Simple. One regret I had was that school overwhelmed other aspects of my life. Make sure you have time for yourself, apart from school.
What do you do to recharge? I recharge principally in two ways: I am an avid sports fan, (Go Mets! Go Knicks!) and follow my teams closely. Also, I am still writing, mostly poetry these days.
Poem or quote that you love? My favorite poem is “George Gray” from Spoon River Anthology in which he says, “…But life without meaning is the torture of restlessness and vague desire – It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.” Teaching gives my life meaning.
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