Experience Summary
In 1986, I achieved a BS in Education Degree with a triple major in English, Piano and Choral Music. Since then I have spent twenty-one years teaching seventh grade through college level courses. I have also tutored at those levels in English, Advanced Placement English, SAT preparation and College Application Essay preparation as well as in a variety of subjects at the elementary level. Additionally, I have published educational book reviews for the College Board and am in the process of completing a five book teaching series to be published in the near future. I have been a presenter and workshop leader at national conventions and local workshops as well as a reader for the national Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition Exam.
Teaching Style
I believe in meeting the student at his level of need and then individualizing the teaching as much as possible to fill the gaps in order to bring the educational level in line with expectations or even beyond expectations. I believe in the student's ownership of his own education and until the learning is internalized and made a part of his everyday existence, the learning is merely facts that are easily forgotten. Discovery and discussion are the primary forms of teaching that I use along with modeling. Through these methods, a student learns at his own pace and within the context of what he already knows. In most cases, the student doesn't even realize he is learning. To me that is goal: for a student to realize that learning is a life-long process and that learning for learning's sake should be a part of our everyday lives. That ability is what I seek for all of my students because that is what will make a difference in their lives.