Experience Summary
Having recently graduated with a master's degree in Literature and Writing, during which I also taught two college-level freshman writing courses, I am well versed in literature, writing mechanics, organization, brainstorming techniques, etc. I have taught high school on the Navajo Reservation. I received an English bachelor's degree from BYU. Also, as a professional writer myself, it is necessary for me to possess a wide knowledge base: mathematics, physics, biology, ecology, geography, etc. I am also fluent in Spanish.
Teaching Style
Teaching is a personal act. Though I have enjoyed being in the classroom and seeing students develop as a community of learners, I have seen the most progress by addressing students' individual needs in a one-on-one situation. I see literature as one of most effective ways that people come to understand one another, the act of reading being a fundamentally unselfish and inquisitive act, an attempt to make sense of and relate to another person’s perspective. Writing is reading’s reciprocal act—a kind of reaching out in hopes of being understood, in adding somehow to the volumes of human perspectives. These are keys to democratic living. It is a great thrill for me to see these discoveries take place within the students I teach.