Hello there! Thanks for stopping by. I'm excited you are here and ready to explore the power of story with me.
When I say the power of story, I mean it. Stories help us find ourselves, connect to others, and make the world a better place. I should know, stories made me who I am today.
See, I grew up in a northern suburb of Chicago. A super wealthy northern suburb of Chicago. It’s beautiful and fancy and the people are beautiful and fancy and all the things there are beautiful and fancy. But I didn’t always feel beautiful and fancy. My parents rented a small little apartment and drove used cars and didn’t shop at all the high-end stores in town.
Maybe I didn’t have a mansion or a Mercedes but my parents loved me. My mom took me to the library where I could check out any books I wanted. And as many as I wanted. My dad took me to bookstores where I could wander the stacks and choose a book that he would buy just for me. And it was all my own.
The books I read from the library and the bookstore were the exact same books my friends were reading. When so much about me and my life didn’t feel like enough because of the town I grew up in, there were always books and stories. Books and stories made me feel whole, helped me fit in, gave me an escape but also propelled me forward. I loved them, they loved me, and they helped me love myself.
As much as stories were an equalizer for me, I was still a first generation Latina in a very white space. In writing, I finally saw how unique and complex I am. I finally the beauty in all the parts that make me who I am.
I write because the power of story helped me love myself.
In March of 2015, I blogged every single day, using words to unravel the shame and guilt I felt over being the not-so-rich Latina girl in a super wealthy, beautiful and fancy, mostly-white, northern suburb of Chicago. By the end, I realized more than ever how books and their stories are a big part of who I am today and that I have stories to tell. They’re mine and they’re special and they’re unique and they have to be told because I didn't see myself in the books I adored when I was growing up. In The One Where I Have To Share My Stories, I finally truly and deeply understood this. Click on the link above to access all the posts I wrote and learn more about me.
I have a story to tell.
And you have a story to tell.
A little more about me: I am a 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts/Social Studies teacher at Carl Sandburg Middle School in Mundelein, Illinois. Previously, I worked as an instructional coach and am a former teacher of students who are deaf and hard of hearing with my Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from National Louis University and National Board certification in Early/Middle Childhood Literacy. I started blogging at Teach Mentor Texts in 2010 where I share ways to use authentic texts as mentor texts to inform writing. In 2015, I founded Story Exploratory to lead people in identity work through guided exploration.
Last but definitely not least, I'm a mama to two amazing boys, a snuggly puppy named Perdi, and a bearded dragon named Zeke. My husband and I keep each other and our family busy. We're grateful for everything we have and make the most of this wonderful life we've found ourselves living together.
Wanna say hi? Please email me at jen@teachmentortexts.com.
When I say the power of story, I mean it. Stories help us find ourselves, connect to others, and make the world a better place. I should know, stories made me who I am today.
See, I grew up in a northern suburb of Chicago. A super wealthy northern suburb of Chicago. It’s beautiful and fancy and the people are beautiful and fancy and all the things there are beautiful and fancy. But I didn’t always feel beautiful and fancy. My parents rented a small little apartment and drove used cars and didn’t shop at all the high-end stores in town.
Maybe I didn’t have a mansion or a Mercedes but my parents loved me. My mom took me to the library where I could check out any books I wanted. And as many as I wanted. My dad took me to bookstores where I could wander the stacks and choose a book that he would buy just for me. And it was all my own.
The books I read from the library and the bookstore were the exact same books my friends were reading. When so much about me and my life didn’t feel like enough because of the town I grew up in, there were always books and stories. Books and stories made me feel whole, helped me fit in, gave me an escape but also propelled me forward. I loved them, they loved me, and they helped me love myself.
As much as stories were an equalizer for me, I was still a first generation Latina in a very white space. In writing, I finally saw how unique and complex I am. I finally the beauty in all the parts that make me who I am.
I write because the power of story helped me love myself.
In March of 2015, I blogged every single day, using words to unravel the shame and guilt I felt over being the not-so-rich Latina girl in a super wealthy, beautiful and fancy, mostly-white, northern suburb of Chicago. By the end, I realized more than ever how books and their stories are a big part of who I am today and that I have stories to tell. They’re mine and they’re special and they’re unique and they have to be told because I didn't see myself in the books I adored when I was growing up. In The One Where I Have To Share My Stories, I finally truly and deeply understood this. Click on the link above to access all the posts I wrote and learn more about me.
I have a story to tell.
And you have a story to tell.
A little more about me: I am a 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts/Social Studies teacher at Carl Sandburg Middle School in Mundelein, Illinois. Previously, I worked as an instructional coach and am a former teacher of students who are deaf and hard of hearing with my Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from National Louis University and National Board certification in Early/Middle Childhood Literacy. I started blogging at Teach Mentor Texts in 2010 where I share ways to use authentic texts as mentor texts to inform writing. In 2015, I founded Story Exploratory to lead people in identity work through guided exploration.
Last but definitely not least, I'm a mama to two amazing boys, a snuggly puppy named Perdi, and a bearded dragon named Zeke. My husband and I keep each other and our family busy. We're grateful for everything we have and make the most of this wonderful life we've found ourselves living together.
Wanna say hi? Please email me at jen@teachmentortexts.com.
