Please contact me via Verbal Planet messaging before signing up for a session, so I can help you more effectively during our trial session.

I have twenty-two years experience teaching English, writing, and composition (both in the classroom and online) as a professor at a major university. This experience includes a diversity of students from all over the world. As an instructor, I managed and facilitated five classes per semester, learning how to successfully balance multiple priorities under pressure. With a strong background in writing and English, teaching English comes naturally to me. In any given day I designed and graded assignments, mentored and conferenced students, taught and lectured in the classroom, and maintained records and made decisions regarding classes and students. I currently teach college skills, creative writing, and composition online at a major university and lead a team of faculty as a team lead.

Additionally, I bring strong background working with the international community. As a child, my mother was a coordinator for a local migrant program, and she exposed me to the migrant community, taking me to work and to homes of various migrant families. She taught me the value of assisting non-English speakers with language and work skills, and as a result, I chose to pursue this avenue further. After three years of Spanish in high school, I took more Spanish classes in my minor at Georgia Southern, getting straight A’s in all my classes. I can carry on a conversation in Spanish.

I also love writing and have publications in poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. As an professor, I have coached thousands of students on writing, presentations, grammar, ideas, and organization of ideas, as well as their mastery of the English language. I have coached thousands of students, from beginners to advanced, on writing and presentations in various genres and on various topics.

My experience working with students on Verbal Planet has been so much fun, because I love conversation and love teaching adult professionals about cultural nuance, idiomatic expressions, and American culture.

Education

Master of Fine Arts, Sewanee School of Letters, University of the South, 2011.

Major: Creative Writing

Supporting Area of Emphasis and Thesis: Poetry

Master of Arts, Georgia Southern University, 2002.

Major: English Literature

Bachelor of Arts, Georgia Southern University, 1999.

Major: English Literature

Minor: Spanish

Professional Positions

• Online Instructor (faculty), Southern New Hampshire University, Remote, October 2014 - Present

• Instructor and Course Creator, Udemy, Remote, January 2015 - Present

• ESL Tutor, VerbalPlanet, Remote, January 2015 - Present

• Team Lead (faculty lead), Southern New Hampshire University, Remote, April 2015 - July 2017

• Instructor/Assistant Professor, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Ga., August 2002 - July 2014

• Graduate Assistant, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Ga., January 2000 - May 2001

• Reference Assistant, Library Assistant, and Shelver, Statesboro, Ga., August 1997-February 2001

Courses Taught

• SNHU 107, Success Strategies for Online Learning

• Eng. 226, Introduction to Creative Writing

• Eng. 122, Online Composition I

• ENG 123, Online Composition II

• ENGL 1101 Composition I, 2002-2014

• ENGL 1102 Composition II, 2002-2014

• ENGL 1101 (online), 2012-2014

• English 1101 and 1101 Hybrid, 2010-2012

• ENGL 1101 Composition I Eagle Incentive Program, 2003-2013

• ENGL 1101 Composition I First Year Interest Groups, Medicine and Ethics, 2005

• RGTE 0199 Regent’s Exam Preparation, 2003-2006

• WRIT 2133 Writing Science Fiction, 2006

• FYE 1220 First Year Experience: Social Issues in Film, 2013-2014

Honors

• Cambridge Who's Who Among Executive and Professional Women in Teaching and Education, Teaching (2008)

• Spanish Honor Society, members have exceptional academic standing in Spanish, Sigma Delta Pi (1998)

• English Honor Society, members have exceptional academic standing in English, Sigma Tau Delta (1997)

As an instructor, I have taken the opportunity to work with and mentor native and international students. My repertoire includes a wide range of classes--Composition 1101 and 1102, online composition, Hybrid 1102 classes, Eagle Incentive Program for transitional students, and Regents Essay remedial classes, among others. This class range demonstrates initiative in learning new skills, and ability working with diverse student populations from all over the world.

In composition, I learned various language barriers that students face, and I have worked with such students in remedial settings when I taught the Regents Essay class. A large portion of such students was internationals from Asia, Europe, Latin and South American, the Middle East, Africa, and Mexico. Through this experience, I saw the diverse language and personal challenges these students faced, and I facilitated custom learning plans to help these students succeed and pass the Regents Essay Test. In composition, I have also worked with student writers from all over the world, helping them to overcome language barriers and target specific issues common to particular languages.

I would love to help you learn to perfect your English skills! In working with you. I will communicate with you in setting clear goals and listen to your concerns and questions. Then, we will customize a game plan that will help you achieve those goals, adapting as well go along. Everyone is different, so we'll assess your unique situation in creating lessons that work for your needs.

**Please note: Please contact me before signing up for a time on the schedule, since some of those times may be reserved for other students. Write me and let me know who you are and what you need. Thanks!

My teaching approach includes working with international students, background in foreign languages, and commitment to student success. I appreciate the challenges people face in dealing with language and cultural barriers, and misunderstandings that can occur when English speakers do not understand these barriers.

I passionately encourage learners in adapting to their new surroundings and advocate for educating the public on language and cultural barriers, inside and outside of the classroom. My previous teaching experience, which included ESL (English as a Second Language) students and students from all over the world, gives me appropriate experience to teach successfully online, interact effectively with diverse individuals, and coach students in English from all over the world.

Student-centeredness, critical inquiry and curiosity, and research-based teaching approaches influence my teaching style. Plus, ten years assisting students at a university writing center, has given me the opportunity to expand my interactions with the general student population, and ESL populations and work with them one-on-one on writing. I believe this skill can easily transfer into this role.

Also, I have a strong ethical responsibility towards my students to ensure you acquire high quality education and effective writing and speaking skills. I am committed to helping you succeed in learning effective English reading, writing, and speaking skills. I enjoy working with diverse students, engaging you to think critically, and treating you like you matter. Additionally, my skills sets include three years teaching online and extensive online training to teach in an online environment.

Overall, I desire to see you succeed by assessing your strengths and weaknesses and individualizing and adjusting our interactions accordingly. As an instructor, consistently positive teaching evaluations demonstrate excellence in teaching, and positive comments on evaluations show good rapport with students.