I love to shake out ideas, explore possibilities, and learn unexpected things with my students. I am fairly intense about the possibilities of language, the need for thought that is both wide and deep, and that one’s own best learning Praxis is its own valuable subject for study. I also think that finding out new stuff is just about the most fun there is.
I've built my skills on my time spent studying English at Stanford and Georgetown Universities (B.A. and M.A., respectively). I’m fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from wonderful educators, and to be a part of an incredible discussion of ideas that has included millions of voices over thousands of years: the huge, ongoing conversion that continues to be had between people who want to learn together. I've tutored many students one-on-one as a university writing center instructor, working with students who needed to do a lot of work to catch up with peers, students for whom English was their second or third language, and students who wrote better than I ever will. I had wonderful conversations with all of them, and look forward to many more with future students.
I find that the mental engagement required by the writing process creates fertile ground for thinking about how we think, and how we learn. Working with students to help them develop their own ways of exploring and expressing ideas is, for me, among the most interesting parts of the tutoring process. And because sharp critical thinking skills have value that extends far beyond the classroom, and I believe strongly in helping my students learn how to hone theirs.
In my non-tutoring time, I'm very engaged with community service, my daughter's fantastic co-op pre-school, and DIY home ec. - feel free ask me about canning!
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