Teacher Spotlight on Carla Chwat
Birthplace: Virginia
Title/Responsibilities: High School English Department Chair
Education:
Georgia State University - PhD (ABD), English
Longwood University - MA, English
Longwood University - BA, English/BA, History
How long have you been teaching at Pinecrest? 12 years
What do you love most about teaching high school English at Pinecrest?
Discussions with my students, helping them to see that literature helps everyone to become more empathetic with the human condition.
Discussions with my students, helping them to see that literature helps everyone to become more empathetic with the human condition.
What is your favorite work of literature, and why?
It’s difficult to nail down a favorite, but Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities is certainly in the top five for me. The powerful message that draws the novel to its close is worth reading over and over again. I re-read this book every summer as I prepare to teach it in my AP Literature course.
It’s difficult to nail down a favorite, but Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities is certainly in the top five for me. The powerful message that draws the novel to its close is worth reading over and over again. I re-read this book every summer as I prepare to teach it in my AP Literature course.
Do you have a special story to share about a particular student? If so, please share it with us.
I have many stories, but two that come to mind focus on the Class of 2010 and the Class of 2018. The Class of 2010 painted my podium as their present to me when they prepared to leave. This year, the Class of 2018 painted a stool to match it. I was so touched by both gifts. I am truly blessed to get to work with such wonderful students every day. Do you use different approaches when teaching boys vs. girls? Please explain.
What creative methods do you use to engage students who might not be interested in the subject you are teaching?
I like to relate literature to contemporary film, music, even television. I want my students to see that these messages are real and true and can apply as much today as they did when the author published the work.
How do you unwind after a day of teaching?
Ok, I know this is what people expect me to say, but it really is true. I enjoy reading history. I watch a great many documentaries. I also teach at the University of North Georgia, so there is a great deal of grading and reading and preparing that goes on, too. Any free time is spent with the love of my life, my husband Andrew.
