I have a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and have completed graduate coursework in education. I hold a Minnesota teaching license in Communication Arts & Literature, grades 5-12. I have been teaching for 6 years. I currently teach English 10 and English 11 at a public high school in Minnesota, where I also advise the yearbook program. Before that, I taught 7th grade Language Arts at a middle school.
Most of my experience is in the classroom with students ages 12 to 17, but a lot...
I have a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and have completed graduate coursework in education. I hold a Minnesota teaching license in Communication Arts & Literature, grades 5-12. I have been teaching for 6 years. I currently teach English 10 and English 11 at a public high school in Minnesota, where I also advise the yearbook program. Before that, I taught 7th grade Language Arts at a middle school.
Most of my experience is in the classroom with students ages 12 to 17, but a lot of teaching English happens one on one. During essay units I hold individual writing conferences, where a student and I go through their draft together and decide what to revise first. With my juniors, I also spend time preparing for the ACT, especially the English and Reading sections.
My approach starts with the student’s actual work. I look at a recent essay, test section, or assignment to find the specific skills causing trouble, then teach those skills directly with short examples and practice. For writing, I focus on clear claims, organization, and revision, and I ask students to explain their choices so they can make good decisions on their own later. For test prep, I teach the patterns the questions follow and help students manage their time. I give honest, specific feedback and adjust to the student’s age and goals, whether that is a middle schooler building basic skills or a senior finishing a college application essay.
