Keith Pond

Contact

kpond@madisonprep.org
480-345-2306 ext 211

Office Hours

Monday 7:30am-8:00am
Tuesday 7:30am-8:00am
Thursday 7:30am-8:00am

Classes/Duties

HS Literature
HS Composition

Extracurriculars

Assistant Basketball Coach

---

Assignments

WEEK Of: august 13

Advanced Composition: 
Monday:​ Writer's Notebook check. No HW.
Tuesday: Lecture. No HW.
Wednesday: 
Thursday: 
Friday: 
​
​Classic Literature: 
Monday: Same reading as last Friday (read "Deep Roots..." and the introductions to the ancient masterpieces and to Gilgamesh). Re-read and please bring two quotes, written down, from each section for class.
Tuesday: Read the prologue and chapter one from Gilgamesh.
Wednesday: 
Thursday: 
Friday: 

​Shakespeare: 
Monday: ​ Branagh Much Ado About Nothing
Tuesday:  "                               "
Wednesday: "                                   "
Thursday: 
Friday:  

Class Information

Advanced Composition: Use your
Writer's Notebooks!
Remember to use your Writer's Notebooks!  These should be used to store your observations about the world around you, and to write down ideas that you can utilize for inspiration.
"You only fail if you stop writing."-Ray Bradbury

Movie List for Shakespeare:

Much Ado About Nothing. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. MGM. 1993. Film.

Much Ado About Nothing. Dir. Joss Whedon. Lionsgate. 2013. Film.

Othello. Dir. Trevor Nunn. Image. 1990. Film

Shakespeare in Our Time. National Endowment for the Arts Presents Shakespeare in Our Communities, 2011. Film.

Why Shakespeare? National Endowment for the Arts, 2011. Film.

Hello to everyone. My name is Keith Pond, and I am the Composition and Literature teacher here at James Madison Preparatory School. I feel extremely fortunate to be a member of the team here, and look forward to bringing my love of reading and writing to the students.

I was born to a small family of traveling performing elves and was handed off to a band of assorted woodland creatures when I inexplicably outgrew my family's caravan of ferret-powered wagons. I was home schooled deep in the enchanted forest and spent my time much like other children climbing trees and racing unicorns.

After an unfortunate incident involving a neighboring tribe of goat herds and a 1967 Chevy Nova, I was forced to find employment writing ads for shady furniture stores and ghost-writing personal ads in free newspapers. Here, I found my calling.  Even though I am quite old, I only age in years that are prime numbers, therefore I am technically considered orange.

Pardon me? Uh...okay...yes, sorry about that. I am being told that the purpose of this bio is to give real information. Who knew? So.. .

I have lived in Arizona for most of my life, graduating from Dobson High School in Mesa and receiving my BA in Literature from Arizona State University.

Like many, my path out of college consisted of some twists and turns. I was involved in bicycle racing and the outdoor industry through college and into the first phase of my professional life. In that environment, I have worked every conceivable position from floor sweeper to mechanic to shop owner.

After deciding to move on, I became involved in the retail cellular phone business. For ten years I worked in a variety of positions, finally culminating in regional management responsibilities.

In my spare time I enjoy mountain biking, reading, writing and basketball, among other things. And, of course, I love being with my family as much as possible.

I have seen how important it is for young people entering college and professional life to be able to present their thoughts and ideas in a cogent and readable fashion. I hope to bring excitement to this process, and look forward to the school year ahead.

Thank you.

---