Mrs. Sullivan's Portfolio
Welcome to Sophomore English
I'm excited to spend time with you this year, whether it be for three trimesters in English II or for a few weeks in one of my mini courses. Let's make this year a great one!
A Little About Me
I grew up in Chicago with my younger sister and my parents, who were both police officers. I lived on the south side of the city and enjoyed playing outside, riding my bike around the neighborhood, and playing with dress-up clothes and Barbies in my spare time.
When I was 14, my parents retired and we moved to Arkansas. I went to high school there and learned to love reading and English, which I had always taken for granted before. My favorite books were Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. My amazing English teacher inspired me to pursue an English degree.
I headed up to Springfield, Missouri, after graduation. I attended Drury University and majored in English. I also minored in history and global studies. I participated in many organizations, including a sorority, a history fraternity, and the environmental club.
After three and a half years, I moved back down to Arkansas and started subbing. By May, I had been hired as an English teacher at a local junior high. I taught there for three years, and I learned so much. I was glad that I had picked teaching as a career!
Once I got engaged to my husband, Jon, I started planning a move to Oregon, which is where he had been hired for a job. I had the honor of receiving a teaching job in BIS, and I haven't looked back. Now that I live out west, I enjoy hiking and camping. I also learned to knit and enjoy doing crafts, riding my bike, and watching movies. One of my favorite hobbies continues to be reading, and you can check out the list below to hear about what I'm reading and what I think of it. Let me know if you check out one of these titles; I'd love to hear your opinion!
What I'm Reading...
This is a list of books that I'm working on and what I thought about them. I hope you can find something you like!
The Giver by Lois Lowry
I really enjoyed this story. Set in a futuristic world where every aspect of life is subect to extreme government control, this book follows the journey of discovery that 12-year-old Jonas must make about the hidden realities of his community.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
I'm actually reading this book for the second time. It is not my favorite read ever, but I do appreciate the style-- lots of imagery and suspense. It is a post-apocolyptic survival story about a father and son heading to the coast. They encounter several frightening and fascinating people and places along the way.
The Botany of Desire by Micheal Pollan
I've been reading this one for a while, and while I like it because of its random trivia facts, I'm having trouble getting through it. It is basically a cultural, social, scientific, and historical look at four major plants that have sparked human desire to an extraordinary level.