My Teaching Experience

10 years in public school teaching, primarily 10th grade English, 10th grade Honors English, 12th grade AP English, IB English, and Creative Writing courses. I have also taught 9th grade, 9th grade Honors, and 11th grade English courses. In addition to the standard and honors courses, I have taught as an inclusion team teacher with lower level students. I have taught in both traditional year-long 7-period (50 minute) schedules as well as 4x4 (88 minute) block scheduling and year-long (88 minute) A/B block scheduling. I am trained by the International Baccalaureate Organization and the College Board. My CW students have taken first place in the VHSL state writing competition on two separate occasions. Our literary magazine has won every major state and national award.

My Teaching Style

I incorporate a lot of humor in my teaching and I try to make my classroom a place where students feel welcome, valued, and safe. At the same time, my expectations are high and I hold my students to high standards of achievement. My units and lessons are based on best teaching practices and my classroom management is based on relationship-driven teaching. Each student is unique, so I try to be flexible to individual needs without sacrificing the demand for quality work.

Honors/Awards/Shining Teaching Moment

I have been nominated for "Teacher of the Year" several times. I feel grateful for the nominations, as my school uses colleague-voting to choose nominees and finalists. I must be doing something OK if my peers believe I'm worthy of a mention. The National Honor Society has conferred "Teacher of the Month" on me, and I have been "Teacher of the Quarter" twice. My favorite honors, however, are the many times students tell me they enjoy my class and parents tell me they want their child in my class. The kids say that they have to work hard, but that they actually have fun too...that means a lot to me.

MY FEATURED PRODUCTS

• AP Literature &...
• Teach Literary ...
• Advising a Scho...
• Advising a Scho...