In this episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, Matthew Worwood and Cyndi Burnett have the pleasure of speaking with Anne Rizza, an experienced and dedicated High School English teacher with an impressive 24-year tenure.
Anne attended the Teacher’s Innovation Studio, where she learned how to put her creativity into action to help identify a challenge in her classroom. At the time, Anne’s students were using Google Slides, but they were simply filling the slides with text, leading to a lack of engagement. Anne decided to introduce Canva to her students and teach them how to use it effectively to captivate their audience.Anne explains that it took small steps to get her students to remove excessive text from their presentations, resulting in a significant improvement in their engagement levels. By the third semester, she noticed that the only text on the screen was the film title and perhaps a term, allowing the students’ presentations to focus on visual storytelling rather than relying on written information.
Now I’m sort of looking at myself a little bit differently as a educator going through the program. What are the things that I can focus on more in the classroom for myself? And now, okay, the bigger things that I want to attack, how can I go about doing that? And I think that gives me a little bit more of empowerment as an educator to help my students, because ultimately it’s about the students and going back to them. It’s a little bit about me, but it’s mostly about them.
Dr. Cheryle Yin Lo
Anne Rizza is a passionate and seasoned high school English teacher with 24 years of experience. Ann’s journey in education began early, knowing from a young age that teaching was her calling.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Southern Connecticut State University, followed by a master’s and a 6th year degree, showcasing her commitment to lifelong learning and professional growth.
Beyond the classroom, Anne has been a key figure in curriculum development and contributes greatly to the school community. She actively engages in extracurriculars, serving as an advisor for the National Honor Society, Shades—a multicultural and diversity club—and as a class advisor. Anne is dedicated to helping every student realize their potential, a mission she has upheld throughout her remarkable career.
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