English 10

In English 10 with Sam, students will explore such questions as: What makes a writer’s style unique? What does it mean to analyze a piece of literature, rather than ‘just’ read it? What are the different ways that a story can be read – and how do the relationships to stories differ, from culture to culture and individual to individual? Is online content more or less trustworthy than print, and can one tell what online content is reliable? Sam will guide students in the formulation of their answers to these questions by discovering how they relate to their own lives and interests. Students can expect to read and write essays, poems, short stories, novels, blogs, articles and memes – and will learn how to engage with these written forms in a fun, relaxed and challenging way.

Your Educator – Sam O’Connell

Born in Vancouver, Sam was raised in Dublin, Ireland. Sam graduated with an honours degree in Biology from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth before returning to Canada. From a young age she has been working with kids of all ages, who were struggling, in and out of the classroom from instructing swimming with Special Olympics Ireland to teaching IT classes in the local school. Through this experience she realised that one method doesn’t suit all when it comes to learning and we need to embrace that! In her spare time Sam can be found skating and playing ice hockey at many of the local rinks around Vancouver. She also loves listening to (and playing guitar to) all kinds of music. Phil Collins is a firm favourite though. Other hobbies include reading biographies and crime fiction books or playing video games. She is excited to bring her experience to BrainBoost!