Episcopal English Teacher of the Week

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- At some point in their education, students will read 'Romeo and Juliet.' Some students dread Shakespeare while others are intrigued.

Debbie Deppe is the 7th and 8th grade English teacher at Episcopal High School and her students are learning to enjoy such classics.

In her classroom, it's not unusual to see the students dressed up in costumes and act out scenes from the famous play. Deppe even has her students play out the scenes with a modern day touch. "I paired up the boys and girls. The boys were Romeo and the girls, Juliet. I had them text message each other, via writing not through the telephone. I had them text message the balcony scene," said Deppe.

Her students say Mrs. Deppe makes sure they all understand the sometimes difficult language of the time. "She's really cool and she makes it easier to understand Romeo and Juliet and she's really fun," said 8th grader Maria Boyance.

The parent who nominated Mrs. Deppe for Teacher of the Week, said she couldn't think of a better teacher to introduce this great writer to her son.

Deppe says it can be difficult at first to get her students excited about Shakespeare. "They were all afraid of Romeo and Juliet. They all said, 'I can't do it.' But I said, 'Don't be afraid. We're going to walk you through it.' and they seem to be grasping the concepts and everything and I'm happy about that."

Deppe has taught English at Episcopal High School for two years but she has been teaching for 12 years.

Students say she makes learning fun. "I like a lot of my teachers but she's a great teacher," said 8th grader Cutler Renard.

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