"Reading gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are."
-Mason Cooley
About Me
Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I can confidently say that I am a Northern girl through and through. Sailing on the Great Lakes, running half-marathons in the sand dunes of Ludington, wardrobe changes with every season, and day-trips to Chicago are all activities I still hold dear to my heart; however, there's only so much snow and ice a girl can take!
Without a doubt, I know deep-down that my "mental health" requires a need for sunshine 24/7, which is why I jumped on the chance to move to Florida following my graduation from undergrad! As a plus, my husband - fiancé at the time - is a homegrown Florida boy! We both love our Sunshine State and have been blessed with the ability to raise our son in the beautiful city of Tampa.
Beyond the outdoor activities of running with our son, family time at the beach, and biking the local trails, my husband and I have recently become sneaker heads with a growing collection of Nike Dunks, SB Dunks, and Jordans. Of course, as a current upper school English teacher, I must also acknowledge my innate love for literature, specifically world literature and celebrity biographies.
Side note: I am a CRAZY Friends fan, so you will definitely find a personal book review of Matthew Perry's biography in the blog at some point! Also, my favorite season/holiday (call it what you may) is Christmas - seriously, I go ALL-OUT at Christmas.
About Lit with Lench
Let me start by saying that I am an Enneagram 3. For those who are unfamiliar with the Enneagram, it's one of those trendy personality tests that tells you more about who you are and how you relate to others. Being an Enneagram 3, one title I take on is "The Achiever" - read more here or check out Enneagram Ashton on Instagram for more insight. Basically, this confirms why I am passionate about many different things and how, once my mind is made up, my innate drive and determination fuels me to meet every dream or goal.
Therefore, you may notice that this website - Lit with Lench - offers a variety of items for your perusal, such as: a blog about teaching, faith, motherhood, book reviews, life, etc., as well as curriculum resources for purchase and even website design services. However, the fun doesn't stop there! I already have PLENTY of ADDITIONAL ideas roaming in my brain about debt management resources, children's ministry curriculum, reading development services for the tiny humans, podcasts, and so much more. Seriously, I can't seem to turn my mind off!
But why the website title "Lit with Lench," you may ask? Well, the reason is two-fold and all comes from being a high school teacher.
One: "Lit" stands for "Literature" because the idea for this website originally manifested in my role as a World Literature teacher at a private-school in Tampa, Florida where I have the opportunity to build my own curriculum from scratch! This may seem daunting to some teachers but I find so much joy in the freedom and challenge it provides, and I wanted to have the opportunity to share my resources with others in the education field!
Two: "Lit" is a slang term I hear from students ALL THE TIME! Let me preface with a warning: be careful when using Urban Dictionary to look up slang terms spoken by your high school and middle school students, folks ... you may have a shocking realization handed to you that you then HAVE to deal with - sometimes, I find it's better to remain naive at times. However, the term "Lit" turned out to be okay! According to Urban Dictionary, it means "cool" or "exciting," basically something that "you would want to experience".
Therefore, I discovered that "Lit with Lench" not only has a nice ring to it, but is also packed with meaning, making an excellent title for a company that just can't seem to decide on one niche alone!
All I can say is, you never know what you might find here on Lit with Lench ... so stick around, hang out, and don't forget to join our mailing list!
My name is Madeline Lench.
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