Dr. Ellen Shelton

Director

Year Honored: 2003

University of Mississippi Writing Project and Independent Study High School

At the time of the Award, Dr. Ellen Shelton was:

Teacher
Tupelo High School
Tupelo, MS

Grade(s): 11

Biographical Information

To make learning exciting for students at Tupelo High School in Tupelo, Dr. Ellen Shelton engages them in Socratic seminar discussions, collaborative group projects, journaling and literary circles. A National Board Certified teacher and director of the Writing Project at the University of Mississippi, Dr. Shelton teaches students how to research, analyze and draw conclusions based on fact. In her "Columnist Project" students learn how language creates argument by analyzing ten articles of any one columnist, interviewing the writer and discussing how rhetorical appeals impact readers. Nine of Dr. Shelton's AP English students will be recognized as National Merit Semifinalists this year, and many of her students have won local and state-level writing awards. She is a member of the National Council for Teachers of English and presents workshops at state and local conferences.

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