Name: Terry Kendall-Johnson
School District: Baltimore City Public Schools
Title: Special Education Instructor

How do you use Shmoop?

As a special education instructor I used Shmoop for every book we read in English I, II, III and IV. It provided me with ideas to introduce the books [as well as] main points and character analysis. All of these skills my students needed more support with and all of these skills were noted on their individual educational plans or IEPs. Shmoop gave me relevant ideas for comparing, contrasting, and seeing literature through the eyes of the younger generation.

What's your favorite Shmoop product?

The Teaching Guides include all the areas that I needed to implement, assess, and reflect upon in order to determine the level of understanding for each student. Now being a teacher of students in a special education program, my classes were smaller and I was able to analyze student data daily. Shmoop Teaching Guides also gave a multitude of activities so there was always a variety of skills taught and assessed.

What is the coolest experience you've had using Shmoop?

The coolest experience was when I first heard of Shmoop so I went online and was surprised with the verbiage. The next day I basically repeated the laid back terms and my students came to life. This is when I knew I need Shmoop for my students who were still challenged, to absorb many books with reading levels beyond their present skills. My high school scholars began to like English all because Shmoop made it relevant, real, and left room for real analytical discussions. Keeping it real.

We've got your back.

When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A queen.

Care to elaborate?

The ABC Charts over the black board had a beautiful picture of a queen for the letter Q and I love how she looked while sitting on the throne. So, when asked by my teacher, I said "I want to be a queen."

We think Terry did one better than becoming a queen—she became an educator.

Do you know a Shmooperstar educator who should be featured on Shmoop? Have them apply. Or, you know, nominate yourself.