A 23-year veteran of teaching English and writing to seniors, AP Lit 11th graders, 9th graders, and college freshmen, I teach with heart. I help elevate students' confidence, skills, flow, grades, and college acceptance outcomes, all while encouraging authentic, lively expression. Known for caring deeply about each student, I value and nurture individuality, bringing patience, warmth, humor, and a toolbox of strategies tailored to each learner's strengths and needs.
My writing instruction...
A 23-year veteran of teaching English and writing to seniors, AP Lit 11th graders, 9th graders, and college freshmen, I teach with heart. I help elevate students' confidence, skills, flow, grades, and college acceptance outcomes, all while encouraging authentic, lively expression. Known for caring deeply about each student, I value and nurture individuality, bringing patience, warmth, humor, and a toolbox of strategies tailored to each learner's strengths and needs.
My writing instruction begins at the sentence level, strengthening ideas and expression before building structure and flow. Only then can students craft energized, lucid paragraphs and, later, essays with convincing ideas and sustained depth. I emphasize concrete specificity at every turn, helping students move from vagueness to clarity, precision, and compelling voice, whatever the genre or purpose. Writing should be persuasive, intriguing, and utterly clear, but also a fulfilling process of discovery that empowers lifelong expression.
I hold three English degrees, all earned with highest honors, and a strong foundation in instructional pedagogy. After years as a college writing instructor, I led a faculty of nine at a prestigious independent school during two decades of high school teaching, where I also designed and served as keynote speaker for the College Writing Boot Camp. I helped over 700 students craft standout college essays with remarkable, proven results. I received the Bravo Award, a city-wide teaching honor, and a student-voted teaching award that reflects the lasting relationships I build; many students stay in touch long after graduation.
Outside the classroom, I edit scholarly work, fiction, and provide feedback on documentary film rough cuts. I am deeply committed to underserved communities and neurodivergent teens, working with ADHD myself and helping it become an advantage rather than a setback. I live in Pasadena. CA, with my husband, teenage son, and three adopted cats.
