The big picture
I work primarily as a writing instructor and secondarily as an academic coach. Broadly, I see myself as a sponsor of literacy across disciplines and in a way that provides people with the mindsets to control writing situations wherever they find themselves in academia, in the professions, or in their public lives.
I've taught in person, online, high-flex and hybrid. Learners have been traditional, nontraditional, in the humanities, the social sciences, and the professions, some full-time, others working professionals. Interests include self-reflection, auto-ethnography, and goal-readjustment. I emphasize metacognition through portfolio assessment, and personalized learning that encourages participants to declare a mission (not just a concentration), putting micro-learning moments (small things) in the context of that mission (the big thing).
In the offseason, I'm a curriculum designer, teacher, and coach focusing on reflective practice, discipline-specific contemplative pedagogy, digital writing design, and mindfulness in education. My passion is connecting with learners and educators who have their own visions and want to make a valuable impact in their fields and careers. I never stop trying new things grounded in best pedagogical practices.
I ran faculty development workshops in-house and at conferences. I joined hackathons. I started sharing my curricula beyond my courses. I wrote culturally responsive, technology enhanced teaching guides, designed and facilitated learning documentation workshops, and advised and partnered with organizations innovating in education. Then I founded a private practice for faculty development and EdTech consulting, and co-founded an online writing workshop/publishing platform for practicing and established authors. By turns sharp and winding, easy and hard, success and failure paved the way from secondary education to higher education.
I taught English, ESL, and creative writing in secondary schools in the US and abroad, including two years teaching in Italy, where I became a student of education itself. I collaborated with passionate educators and mentored college students practicing to become full-time teachers themselves. But students were my greatest collaborators. I continuously navigated theory and practice, fine-tuning one and then the other, engaging in the multi-directional learning that takes place between students and teachers. From them, I learned how to become a professional listener and conscientious facilitator.
Harvard Graduate School of Education ​
Master of Education (EdM), Arts in Education/Learning Design and Innovation
University of Rhode Island
Bachelor of Arts in English
​