"Education has always been one of the foundations upon which a successful society is built, and I wanted to continue the tradition of fostering the minds of the next generation," notes Justin Chandler, Appalachian State University alumnus and teacher.
Chandler, originally from Icard, North Carolina, graduated from Appalachian in December 2016 with a bachelor's degree in middle grades education (language arts and science). He was also a distance education student at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, North Carolina and a State Employees' Credit Union Appalachian Partnership Scholarship recipient.
The State Employees' Credit Union Appalachian Partnership scholarship is a $1.76 million grant that assists students in our teacher education programs offered through Distance Education. The ultimate goal is for graduates of these programs to teach in their communities.
Chandler is now working as an 8th Grade English/ Language Arts teacher at West Alexander Middle School in Taylorsville, North Carolina. He is also an author. Chandler published young adult (YA) novel The Guide in 2015.
One of Chandler's professors, Dr. Laurie Ramirez, associate professor in Appalachian's Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Middle Grades Education Undergraduate Program Director, described him as "a wonderful writer and a thoughtful, reflective student." She added that he was careful with language and extremely articulate and that he had a witty, intelligent sense of humor.
Ramirez said, "His commitment to young adolescents is clear and his dedication to teaching is exemplary. I am so proud of him and his accomplishments."
Chandler began the story of The Guide as a short story about free will.
“The basic plot elements were thought out until I heard about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) (annually, the month of November), and I became motivated to turn my short story into a full 50,000 word young adult novel as a personal challenge. Making the demographic young-adult tapped into my desire to teach middle grades.”
Ramirez explained why the YA genre is important to middle school students:
“One of the tenets of middle level education is relevance. Middle school students, who are developing emotionally, socially, physically, and culturally, strive to find meaning in the world around them and figure out where they fit in. YA literature often addresses issues that students are experiencing and that adults in their lives are sometimes hesitant to discuss. YA is an avenue for opening up conversations, whether among students or with teachers/parents, that might not otherwise happen but are extremely important for young adolescents feel affirmed and valued.”
Chandler incorporates excerpts of his book into his classroom to demonstrate that “creative writing does not come from wealth of money but rather wealth of creativity,” and he encourages other middle grades teachers to use the book with units on consequences, growth, and/or future.
Chandler is currently working on a second novel called Like, which is tentatively scheduled for publication in summer 2018.
He gives this advice to young, aspiring writers: “Let your creativity flow in and out of your lungs; let the words you write take your breath away each time the ink hits the page, and always be willing to take chances in your writing.”
Justin Chandler
