Join Leah and I as we chat with MCHS English Teacher & Newspaper Advisor, Dane Erbach!

Dane’s Educational Journey

Not from a “teacher family”

Punk Rock kid in HS; “art nerd”

Lake Forest College, started doing more writing and “art stuff”

“Daydreaming about what I would do if I were the teacher”

Stumbled into this field where it all made sense - stumbled upon a passion - didn’t know what he would do

Teacher prep prepared him for diverse learners

Lake Forest College - NOT diverse at all

Taught at Highland Park HS

Newspaper Advisor Role - Yearbook was developed into an award-winning publication

“Make it a student publication”

“Inspiring them to create”

Want it to be something sacred, not a place to go to get a credit

Goal is for them NOT to need me

“Through a little bit of encouragement, and the push from a teacher”

Challenges in education & how you dug yourself out of the trenches:

“Challenge was not the students - challenge was the grownups”

“You are not an entertainer, you are a teacher” - professor mentioned this

Had a terrible year last year with newspaper;

Played the middle role between admin and student writing.

Empowering students - challenging values - hold truth to power

HOPEFUL:

Watching my students walk into the classroom for the first time this year. It will be genuine, not much need for hyping it up.

If not this year, eventually there will be kids here.

I will not take them for granted.

I’ll be thinking about my job differently.

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Twitter: Dane Erbach

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Dr. Jeff Prickett

Leah Pelletier

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Dr. Jeff Prickett

Leah Pelletier