Name: Juley Harper
School: Wor-Wic Community College
Teaches: English, SAT prep, Future Educators class
Other Titles: Independent Literacy Consultant

 

Love Shmoop, but aren't sure how to work it into your day-to-day teaching routine? Juley Harper's stories and tips are just what the doctor (er, admin?) ordered. As the 2001 DE Teacher of the Year and former ELA Education Associate at the DE Department of Education, people seek her input about helpful resources for the classroom—and Shmoop is at the top of that list.

How do you use Shmoop?

I have a multi-faceted background. I teach, I coach, I am an independent literacy consultant (NCTE, UD), and I am a mom. I teach English 101 and 151 at a Community College and I teach future Educators at Salisbury University. I also teach a 7 week SAT prep course in which I use the SAT online Prep.

I use Shmoop every single class! I'm serious! Sometimes I use it to teach a concept (idioms), a short story ("A&P"), or model an educational activity (determining rhyme scheme). I also use Shmoop with my daughter to review and reteach pre-algebra concepts.

When I teach future educators I share Shmoop with them as a resource for their own classrooms and when I work with other school districts I show them how to incorporate Shmoop in their own lessons.

I use it with a variety of classes—college, high school students, teachers, and middle schoolers.

What's your favorite Shmoop product?

I love all parts of Shmoop! If I must pick; however, I would choose the videos and I love when I hear, "__________ a la Shmoop." The videos are quick and easy and they truly "speak student." They pull the students in with interactive graphics and humor and they are never boring!

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

(She couldn't pick just one.)

The coolest experience I have had with Shmoop is with my SAT Prep Course. I used Shmoop to help explain every facet of the SAT. On the first day of the class, I share the SAT online prep site with parents and encourage them to log on and check it out. They seem to really respond to the "We speak student" part because they often do not know how to break down that barrier between and parent and a child when it comes to nagging their kids about SAT prep.

At the beginning of each class I would ask the students to come down to the center of the room and gather around the big screen. I handed out lollipops and we watched Shmoop as a pre-teaching tool! No pressure, no assessment, just good ol' fashioned, fun learning!

If you could karaoke with three fictional characters, who would they be?

Charlie Brown, Two-Bit Matthews, and Jay Gatsby.

Quite a motley crew. Why?

I would want to see if Charlie Brown could sing like he can dance. I would choose Two-Bit Matthews from The Outsiders because he is the "wise cracker of the bunch" and I think he would be a hoot. Lastly, I would choose Jay Gatsby because he is dreamy and influential and could probably get me in to places I could not enter alone.

Anything else we should know about you?

I was the 1990 National Watermelon Queen and I can spit a watermelon seed further than 95% of the population!

While we can’t hope to match Juley's watermelon obsession (or seed-spitting records), we're inspired by the way she's tackled a wide variety of teaching challenges and by her ability to provide a stellar learning experience for students, teachers, and parents.

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