Ed Wevodau


   
                   

Position:

PAP English I; AP English III

Contact:

ed.wevodau@gcisd.net
Website: http://www.gcisd.net/~ed.wevodau

Education:

Bachelor of Arts
Philosophy & Psychology
Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA

Teaching Certification
English Language Arts
Pennsylvania State University
State College, PA
   

Background:

In 1995, my future wife and I moved from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, to Grapevine, Texas, after she was hired by American Airlines. I took a job with Fort Worth ISD, teaching at McLean Middle School, Dunbar Middle School Magnet Program, and -- most recently -- Paschal High School. After ten years of hour-long roundtrip commutes, I thought, why not teach at the school right down the road from my house…? And here I am.

Over my career, I have taught almost exclusively Advanced Placement or Pre-Advanced Placement courses. As a future district parent, I have extremely high standards and expectations for the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. I look forward to finally teaching in the community in which I live, doing my part to meet those expectations.

Educational Philosophy:

Repetition builds the foundation. Applied practice develops the skills. Experience shapes the intellect.

English Language Arts is NOT simply the touchy-feely world of literary response. Language is a vital part of our identity. When we open our mouths, we “put our business in the street.” Even more importantly, language not only shapes the range of our thought but also dictates the manner in which we view/understand/interpret the world around us.

Students must learn the relationship between choice and intent. WHY does a writer use this particular world? WHY does the speaker conjure this image? WHY does the author repeat that phrase?

In using language, a writer/speaker makes choices designed to affect the reader/listener. Educators—particularly English teachers—must awaken students to the power of language.

Personal Statement:

I have a wife named Kim and two young boys, Aidan and Austin. We have made our home in Grapevine for the past ten years. In my spare time, I work as an amateur genealogist, researching the families of Eighteenth-Century Lancaster County, PA. I have published eight volumes of county record abstracts through Closson Press, with more adventurous pursuits yet to come. My sons and I adore Thomas the Tank Engine. We spend many an evening laying track and re-enacting scenes from our favorite episodes. (I play the part of Sir Topham Hatt, who always has to be angry with the engines that my son gleefully crashes.) I also spend far too much time worrying about the state of the Dallas Cowboys.