The art of learning and questioning one’s beliefs is a core value that Lisa Callender, Advanced Placement Seminar and AP English Literature teacher, prides herself on incorporating into her curriculum. Callender’s experience includes a variety of educator positions, including roles abroad.
Callender grew up and started teaching in Rhode Island, then continued her teaching career when she moved to New Jersey and London. Previously, she taught English 9 College Preparation, English 9 Honors, English 10 College Preparation, English 10 Honors, AP Seminar, AP English Language and Composition and AP English Literature.
She observed distinctive characteristics between different schools.
“I taught in inner-city schools,” Callender said. “The first one was in Paterson. [When] I moved to London, I worked in what they call public schools, but of course, they’re actually private schools, so that was a very different experience. I would walk into the class, and all the students would rise and say ‘Good morning, Mrs. Callender,’ so that was kind of interesting.”
Regardless of where she teaches, “English is the same.”
“The student population was different, [and] their needs were different,” Callender said. “For inner-city schooling, the students required both social-emotional aid as well as adhering to material too. For both the schools I taught in the United Kingdom and in the San Dieguito High School District, students needed more social-emotional help than in other areas, of course, with some exceptions. But actually, teaching the whole subject is still very much the same, even across the pond.”
Callender enjoys the classes she teaches for the skills and topics they are built around.
“I love teaching AP Literature because literature is my jam,” Callender said. “AP Seminar, I love teaching because I love discussion, philosophy and all of that. I’m married to a philosopher, so I just love the way it generates discussion and develops critical thinking skills.
Callender believes that “perspectives are always different.”
For AP Seminar student Ailee Almog (11), Callender’s teaching style is effective and engaging.
“She makes the class engaging and makes sure a lot of people contribute,” Almog said. “She adds a lot of humor and causes students to actually listen to her lectures. I feel like the key to teaching [Seminar] class well is just having engaging lectures and, interesting content and curriculum.”
“Discussion is what makes [class settings] rich,” Callender said. “You can’t get [those key elements] from SparkNotes or being absent. Attendance matters.”
Callender bases her teaching and lectures on discussion because it helps her “see what students understand, helping them go deeper beyond plot-level thinking.”
“Some of my favorite recent moments include discussions around wealth, poverty and social class,” Callender said. “Even students who don’t usually speak up participate because it’s something we’ve all experienced or observed.”
In classes, Callender encourages moments when creative, discussion-based activities allow students to stand out and engage more deeply.
“In [AP] Literature, we’ve done activities like the trial of Victor Frankenstein, and a town hall where Macbeth had to answer questions from his constituents,” Callender said. “Those are fun and help students see literature differently.”
Outside of teaching, Callender takes the time to establish productive morning habits.
“[Everyday], I get up and I do my puzzles,” Callender said. “I do my Wordle, and my Connections with a cup of coffee. Then I go for a run, about two and a quarter miles with my dog at six in the morning. When I’m finished, I get ready and come to school between 7:00 and 7:20. I like to collect myself for the day and get everything prepared.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, around the time Wordle first launched, Callender began the puzzle habit.
“It’s much better than doom scrolling, or reading the news,” Callender said. “I want to start my day getting my brain moving.”
Callender believes that it is valuable to exercise one’s body as well as one’s mind.
“After school, I either stay and work or go to the YMCA for body pump and weightlifting,” Callender said. “At home, I eat dinner and relax. I’m usually in bed by nine and read for about 45 minutes. I alternate between books I teach and books I read for enjoyment.”
She wants students to take a look at the behind-the-scenes of a teacher’s life, so that they can see she is “on their side.”
“I push them because I want them to grow and enjoy learning,” Callender said. “Teaching is tough, and teachers worry about students more than they realize.”
Over many years of teaching and interacting with a variety of students, Callender’s “Christmas wish” is to see students “walk away saying they have read great books and learned something meaningful.”
AP Seminar student Sofia Elmokadem (11) appreciates the class due to the environment that Callender curates.
“A myriad of topics we discuss in AP Seminar are most of the time arguable and likely conversations most of my peers, including myself, have had with their families and close friends,” Elmokadem said. “Knowing my teacher respects my ideas and opinions, along with my peers, is a priceless experience as, unfortunately, it is not always guaranteed in a school environment.”
Beneath Callender’s classroom approach and daily habits lies a belief in building students’ skills.
“Sometimes what’s best for students isn’t what they think is best at the moment,” Callender said. “Life doesn’t always come with accommodations, so teachers try to help students develop strategies and responsibility.”
