Marlana Benzie-Lourey
English 9
College in the Schools Composition, Literature, and Film as Art
email: [email protected]
I am very excited to have been teaching English at East Central since 2015. Working with students to help them become the best they can be is my passion, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity to work with such great young people and their families. My three children are East Central graduates and I am proud to be back home as an Eagle!
Prior to teaching, I worked in journalism and public relations and I am excited to bring this experience to the classroom. I have worked as publisher and editor of the Askov American newspaper, as a news reporter for Minnesota Public Radio, and as the CEO of my own public relations and marketing company. As one can imagine, effective writing skills are a priority in my classroom, and I strive to have students practice authentic writing on a daily basis.
The use of technology in the classroom to improve student engagement and learning is another passion of mine. I try to foster 21st-century skills in the classroom in a way that makes our students better writers, readers, and thinkers. I enjoy serving on the high school's technology team and learning as much as I can about ways technology can help our students prepare for the future.
My educational background includes a BA from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Teaching from Hamline University. Prior to teaching full-time, I worked for several years as a substitute teacher at East Central and did my student teaching at Harding High School in Saint Paul.
Thank you for this opportunity to work with your students. Feel free to stop in or contact me at any time to find out more about what we are doing in class!