Phone: 704-238-8883

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

BA: English, Wingate University MFA: Composition and Rhetoric; Creative Writing, Queens University Post Graduate Studies: American Lit / Southern Fiction, University of South Carolina Post Graduate Studies: Post-Modern Fiction, UNCC

Kevin Winchester, HS English Faculty

 

Hi, I'm Kevin Winchester. I taught Creative Writing, Composition, and Literature at Wingate University for twenty years, and now I'm happy to be at Union Academy. I teach Honors Research, Research Communication, and ENG 3. I enjoy helping young people on their journey to adulthood and I try to fashion all my classes, regardless of content, to be relevant to students in ways that go beyond the classroom. Students learn a little bit about literature, writing, thinking critically and thinking in abstract ways. By the end of our class, they will have a better understanding of what "character" means, they will know more about themselves, about society, and the role and relevance of research, communication, and yes, even literature, in our society.

My Degrees

My undergraduate degree is in English, my graduate studies were in American Literature with an emphasis on Southern Fiction, and I have a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Composition and Rhetoric with an emphasis on Creative Writing.

My Other Interests

I'm married, have a son, a daughter, a dog named Coco, three chickens named Emma, Rosie, and Lucy, and a king snake named Priscilla (she lives in my outbuilding, not inside with us). I love music and mountains, backpacking, tractors, hiking...and I mentioned writing, didn't I?

My Philosophy

We're all just walking each other home...

 

  • My Classes

    Below are the classes I am teaching this semester. Each section currently contains a brief description of the class and a link to the Canvas page. If you are a parent and have "signed up" for your student's class as a Canvas Observer, you can access that page from the link. Throughout the year, I will post class updates and important reminders or announcements in the section.

    ENG III

    My ENG III class covers American Literature from the Pre-Colonial period to recent Contemporary works. Students will read (or watch) short stories, at least one novel, and at least one play during the year. For assessment, there will be writing assignments, reading quizzes, unit / module tests, Measure of Mastery tests, and a variety of projects and presentations. I'm planning on letting the students pick general topic areas from their lives and I will bring in literature selections that reflect the student choices to explore. I've not tried this route before, so it will be interesting! 

    Link to Canvas Page

     

    ENG III Honors

    My ENG III class covers American Literature from the Pre-Colonial period to recent Contemporary works. Students will read (or watch) short stories, at least one novel, and at least one play during the year. These works will come from the recognized canon of American Literature, but I will introduce students to a variety of... let's say, different works of literature, as well. For assessment, there will be writing assignments, reading quizzes, unit / module tests, Measure of Mastery tests, and a variety of projects and presentations. Students will design, develop, implement, and publish a website / blog in this class.

    Link to Canvas Page

     

    Honors Research

    We're going to study the research and writing process in this class. We'll learn to develop research ideas from a variety of approaches, learn how to use source material ethically and seamlessly in our writing, practice building effective rhetorical arguments, and practice testing our views. I believe almost everything in the world around us can be "read" as a "text." Our classroom will be a community where we explore and share ideas about those texts we read which will help us gain a better understanding of the informational world around us and even ourselves. Along the way, you'll gain skills in identifying, analyzing, and constructing rhetorical arguments, writing in a variety of rhetorical situations, thinking critically and thinking in abstract ways. By the end of our class, students will know more about themselves, about society, and will be fully prepared for writing, researching, and engaging at the college level and in society.

    Link to Canvas Page

     

    Research & Communication

    In this class, we'll learn and apply critical thinking skills to real world situations. Students will research a wide variety of topics, synthesize the information found, and communicate those findings in a variety of formats. Critical thinking, analytical thinking, writing, and speaking skills will be developed through practical applications and examples. The primary framework for the class will be the 20 Time Project. Students will develop their own project from idea to finished product and will present their project to parents and the community at the end of the semester.

    Link to Canvas Page

  • My Writing

    Yes, I'm a writer. I started creating and writing down stories and poems at a young age. Writing has been a constant in my life since. I didn't start seriously pursuing writing as a career until later in life, though. My first publication was a poem that appeared in the Asheville Literary Review in 1993. I began publishing short stories in a variety of literary journals a few years later. My short story collection, "Everybody's Gotta Eat," was published by Main Street Press in 2009. SFK Press published my debut novel, Sunflower Dog, in 2020. I've finished a draft of my next novel, but, much to my agent's dismay, I'm avoiding working on revising it by writing short stories and poetry. 

    If you are interested in purchasing my novel, you can find it here: Sunflower Dog.

    If you are interested in purchasing my short story collection, you can find it here: Everybody's Gotta Eat.