About the Blog

Welcome to Optimistic Teaching, the teaching blog committed to an optimistic view of education. I believe that being a good teacher means having an optimistic outlook. After all, if we doubt the world-changing potential of our craft, our students, or ourselves, how powerful can education be?

So what does this optimism look like in action? It’s educators–which is inclusive of every adult serving students in a school, virtual or physical–working tirelessly, humbly, and fearlessly to make the world a better place by investing in their craft and in their kids. In my blog, you’ll find posts ranging from lesson ideas and EdTech tools to positive quotations and classroom anecdotes. If you are an optimist, if you believe in the power of teaching and the promise of young people, then this is the blog for you. Welcome!

About Me

I’m Trevor Hershberger, an English teacher at a public high school in Orange County, California. I have been working in my dream profession since 2013, and I currently teach junior AP English Language and Composition and senior IB English Literature HL.

I believe that teaching is in my DNA. I wanted to be a teacher when I was a five-year-old playing school in my parents’ garage, and I can’t imagine doing anything else as a career. “Teacher” is not just my job description; it’s my identity.

I have a BA in English from my dream school, UCLA (go Bruins!), as well as an MA in teaching and an MA in English from the University of California, Irvine. I am also a teacher consultant in the UC Irvine Writing Project and recently completed my Ed.D. at University of Florida with a dissertation on students’ experiences with equity-minded standards-based grading. I am always seeking to improve as a reader, writer, thinker, and educator, and this blog is one way in which I hope to continue doing so while also helping and inspiring other teachers, too. Thank you for reading!