Experience Summary
After several years working as an administrator in the health care field, I decided to make a drastic career change and begin post-graduate study in English Literature, something I had always wanted to do. Having already completed 41 of the needed 45 credits toward my degree, I expect to receive my M.A. in English Literature from Portland State University no later than the Spring of 2011. I currently hold a 3.96 GPA with focus areas in Victorian and 19th Century American Literature, as well as Rhetoric and Composition. Throughout my graduate study I have volunteered many hours as a writing tutor for a local community college, assisting students from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels, including non-native speakers.
Teaching Style
I believe it is important to get to know my students by discovering their likes and dislikes about reading and writing, what their interests are, and assessing their confidence levels. While there is no substitute for understanding the "rules" of composition, I believe that learning to enjoy the subject is priority one. By reducing the student's fears or concerns and making it fun, understanding and fluency will eventually follow. Adapting to the needs of the person and adjusting to his or her best learning style is also important. By teaching the skills of invention, in whatever mode best suits the individual, the student can become an independent learner and a self-starter.