All of us at Saklan are pleased to welcome Emily Cashen to the Saklan community, in her role covering middle school Language Arts for Mr. P, who is on extended leave. As a teacher by training who educates with her whole heart, Emily is an incredible addition to the Saklan faculty.
Emily has been a professionally trained teacher since 2004, when she received her teaching credential from Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga. Throughout 10 years of teaching in the Orinda School District, Emily simultaneously continued her own education through Columbia University Teachers College Reading and Writing Project.
After leaving Orinda, Emily taught middle school math at East Bay Waldorf School, and considers working with those middle school students to be the highlight of her teaching career thus far. After taking some time off to help her daughters transition to new schools and distance learning, Emily is excited to be back working with the students, staff, and families that make up the Saklan community.
Since jumping into her new role, Emily has quickly put together a plan for the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade classes.
In sixth grade, the class will read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. As they read, the class will dive deep into learning about Malawi, and will align their learning with science class with Ms. O. Students will explore a variety of writing genres as well, and will practice the full writing process, including peer editing, citing evidence to support ideas, and composing bibliographies.
The seventh grade class will share the heartbreaking truth of the Japanese-American internment camps through the book Farewell to Manzanar. Reading discussions will align with Ms. Kim’s studies of Hawaii in Humanities class. Writing will happen in many ways, with a focus on fluency and peer editing.
Eighth graders will read Animal Farm by George Orwell, and will study the allegorical meaning of animals, not only in Orwell’s work, but also through shorter stories. They will learn about the historical context of Orwell’s work, as well as how he uses character development and language to get his points across. Students will write in a variety of genres, with a focus on peer editing.
In all three grades, weekly book shares will help expose students to new genres and unfamiliar authors, and help to broaden their awareness of worlds other than their own.
Please join us in welcoming Emily to the Saklan community in her new role!
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