In the middle of English teacher Julie Hodgson's classroom is an antique piece of furniture that provides individual mailboxes for each of her 95 students. In these mailboxes, Ms. Hodgson keeps portfolios of student writing in colored folders, from persuasive letters to legislators regarding pending legislation to debate outlines including research and arguments for both sides of an issue, from journal entries on assigned and independent reading, to the students' own short stories, poems and even chapters of novels. The contents of these mailboxes are not only the products of student work, but the fruits of Ms. Hodgson's instruction as well. For her "Novel Challenge," she pairs students with mentors from the Connecticut Department of Education, and local colleges. Throughout the year, students share their writing with these mentors and receive feedback and encouragement. Ms. Hodgson herself is a mentor to beginning teachers, having recently spent a year as teacher-in-residence at the Connecticut Department of Education, helping to direct the English/Language Arts component of the Beginning Educator Support and Training (BEST) program. For these beginning teachers and all the students who benefit from her instruction, Ms. Hodgson is definitely a teacher to write home about.
