From job to career to passion
Susan Tenon has over two decades of teaching experience designing learning experiences and helping teachers reconnect with their “why” of teaching. She has been recognized by leading national and state educational organizations including the Ohio Arts Council, The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, the NEA Foundation, and Funds for Teachers.
Ms. Tenon focuses on creating cross-curricular learning experiences with colleagues in and out of her school. Some of her projects include “The Sky’s the Limit” when she partnered with the high school physics teacher to read October Sky and build, test, and launch water rockets. Another project she created was partnering with a local carpenter/writer to build toolboxes with her students embodying the toolbox metaphor from Stephen King’s memoir On Writing.
She has published both creative and academic writing including Evaluation of Principles and Best Practices in Personalized Learning, “What is Personalized Learning in Secondary Schools?” and “The Hawk in Me.”
Ms. Tenon has presented at educational conferences including Bemidji State University’s Connecting Students and Stories with Diverse Texts conference where she discusses the premise that small books have big ideas in her session: “Not Your Typical King: An additive approach to curriculum using stories from Africa.
Her awards include Norman Mailer Creative Writing Contest finalist, and she is a Martha Holden Jennings Scholar recipient.
Ms. Tenon has taught at the secondary and collegiate level. She is currently a high school English Language Arts teacher in Northeast Ohio where she resides. Her degrees include a Master of Science in Education focusing on Curriculum and Instruction and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing focusing on creative nonfiction.
Susan Tenon
Reconnect with the “Why” of teaching.
When teaching was a job for me, I cared about a schedule that could coincide with my daughter’s school schedule. Talking about writing and books all day was a bonus. When my job turned into a career, I learned there is a craft to teaching. It’s not all throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. I studied the science behind learning and tested theories with action research projects always asking: Are my students learning? Am I learning? Are we learning? Now, teaching is a passion, I’m most concerned about the future of students, teachers, and public education.
I believe teaching and learning don’t happen in a vacuum and classrooms don’t need to consist of four walls. They are lifelong endeavors in which the most powerful moments happen when roles are switched, and students become the teacher while the teacher becomes the student.
Fundamentally, education is an unwritten contract and an obligation for the participants, both teachers and students alike, to do their best.
The kids are great.
As I work toward teaching and developing global competencies in my classroom, I want my students to think about and engage with the world around them whether it is locally or globally.
There is something special about when a student learns a new skill, has an aha moment or takes something they’ve learned and goes in an entirely new direction. Witnessing that is what I call making magic and it’s why I am still teaching.
Resume Highlights
2023 Connecting Students and Stories with Diverse Texts conference presenter
2022 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow
2021 Fund for Teachers Innovation Grant Fellow
2018 Fund for Teachers Fellow
Three-time Ohio Arts Council Artist with Disabilities Grant recipient
Martha Holden Jennings Scholar and five-time classroom grant recipient