Joe Lewis
Joe began teaching high school English Language Arts in 1992 in the town of Slinger, Wisconsin. Since then, he has taught secondary- and university-level English and English Education in Milwaukee, Morocco, New York City, and Saint Paul. He earned his doctorate in English Education at Columbia University Teacher's College, with a scholarly focus on cross-cultural language and literacy practices. At Hamline, Joe teaches Schools and Society, Teaching English in the Middle and High School, and Teaching Literacy in Middle and High School. Joe also serves as an educational consultant for the Namnyaki Girls Secondary School in Iringa, Tanzania, supporting girls’ education and promoting learner-centered teaching. He lives in Saint Paul with his wife and two kids.
Joe believes that English teachers play a vital role in motivating students to read and write as they develop and sharpen their college-ready communication skills. The most effective English teachers model and promote intellectual curiosity and critical literacy, both in and out of the classroom. They are adept at using a wide range of texts and instructional strategies, allowing them to connect with and challenge a wide range of students. In his classes at Hamline, Joe seeks to model these beliefs by building supportive, inclusive communities of learning that promote productive collaboration. He and his students work together to explore the essential questions of best practice teaching. He challenges his students to think beyond their own experiences — particularly around issues of race, culture, class, gender identity, and sexual orientation — and to act as advocates and mentors for all students.
Joe's scholarship focuses on cross-cultural language and literacy practices; student access to equitable education; and dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline. His work has been published in journals such as The Urban Review, Multicultural Education, and the National Youth-at-Risk Journal, and in books such as Six Lenses for Anti-Oppressive Education, From Education to Incarceration: Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline, and Practical Strategies to Reduce Childhood Trauma and Mitigate Exposure to the School-to-Prison Pipeline.