Literature And Writing Tutor
About
I'm a published writer of fiction, essays, poetry. songs and scripts. I'm currently completing doctoral research in Ireland, so I can only offer online tutoring.
I have six years of experience teaching third-level literature and creative writing and have spent the past three summers teaching young (k-6) readers and writers.
I'm passionate about teaching literature, story, and narrative. I believe that overall immersion and study of diverse forms of narrative gives us a foundation for a greater appreciation of our vast and inexorably connected human experience. Stories ask everyone to take into account different perspectives, emotions, reactions, and choices, and to acknowledge the reasons behind them–from a place of understanding. A learned understanding, reached through:
· Critical thinking (through engagement with one's own curiosity and wonder to form and ask questions)
· Seeking out and distilling information/ideas/opinions from various sources and viewpoints
· Individual evaluation (reaching an answer/opinion/idea based on the best information at hand that resonates with one’s conscience)
Teaching Philosophy
Three key principles are what form my overall teaching philosophy. In becoming proficient, inquisitive readers, and expressive and condident writers–students should acquire the skills to:
Think critically,
Communicate powerfully,
Be open to thinking empathetically from other perspectives
In practice, teaching while adhering to these principles imparts the three skills that every great communicator should have:
1. The ability to interrogate the world at large,
2. The ability to write with clarity, and authority in one’s authentic voice
3. The ability to empathize (deeply imagine) how another person might feel.
These three skills are the basis for the development and structure of my courses, and they're central to how I manage a classroom.
To foster student-centred learning, and build-upon the practices of critical thinking, communication, and empathy, I structure classes to be dialogue-driven. My role is to mediate, to pose questions, to encourage students to engage in conversation, and to guide discussion towards meeting learning objectives. I know that many students are apprehensive of open dialogue (or speaking in general) in the classroom because they’re accustomed to class dialogue structures that adhere to a dichotomy of “correct” and “incorrect.” In this sense, students are not engaged in dialogue, but in a debate. This can at times deflate learner confidence. From the first class meeting, I work to establish this crucial concept, a dialogue is different from a debate. A debate is intrinsically competitive and asserts division based on difference. Dialogue involves listening and speaking to understand differences. In essence, a dialogue is about learning. The value statement there being, I learn from you; you learn from me. In a dialogue-driven class, each person deserves to speak and be heard. No one voice is more important than another. Everyone's experience has intrinsic value. Everyone is capable of contributing. Building student confidence in the skills and strengths they have, as well as the ones they are building, is important to me as an educator.
Highlights
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Curriculum Vitae: Educator Experience
Great Panda Edu. July - August 2020 and 2021
· Taught small-group supplementary summer reading and writing courses to K-6 students.
· Worked with students to develop comprehension, close reading, critical/ inquisitive thinking, and discussion skills.
· Texts covered included, A Wrinkle in Time, My Father’s Dragon, Because of Winn-Dixie. Writing courses included, Writing Science-fiction, Writing for Video Games, Your First Short Story, and courses in writing expository and persuasive narrative essays.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Artward-Bound. June – August 2020
· Artward Bound is a program that prepares 9th-12th grade students interested in visual arts and design with academic skills needed for admission and success at post-secondary institutions. The program includes a six-week intensive summer session.
· I taught a summer course in language arts covering speculative-genre literature, creative, and critical writing.
Instructional Content Developer, Writing Centre, University College Dublin. April 2020 – August 2020
· Researched and analyzed knowledge gaps and needs of third-level academic writing, and creative writing students, to develop effective, self-guided, learning content and online learning tools.
Instructor, Intro to Creative Writing, UCD, School of English, Drama & Film. January 2019 – May 2020
· Developed modules in fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and new narrative modes, including cross-genre and interactive narratives––giving prominence to writers of diverse backgrounds.
· Led open dialogue discussion in the role of the writer in contemporary society in context of shifting norms and perceptions of narrative forms and structures.
· Students completed first drafts of a short story in the last five weeks of term through intense weekly generative writing sessions covering setting, character, plot, conflict, and resolution.
English Language Teacher, VIPKID. May 2018 – July 2021
· Led one-to-one, online EFL instruction to children across China (aged 5 to 15) utilizing music, games, and dramatic technique (storytelling/props) to create an interactive, engaging learning experience.
Teaching Assistant and Instructor, Introduction to Creative Writing, University of North Carolina at Wilmington. August 2016 – May 2017
· Served as a teaching assistant for a Creative Writing lecture covering the Craft of Writing and Reading as Writers.
· Led focused Creative Writing workshop classes in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.
Content Marketing and Community Support Specialist, Dictionary.com. January 2013 – March 2015
· Promoted to content marketing lead, after three months in community support.
· Developed content for a suite of web and mobile products, and all mar-coms across web, mobile, and social platforms.
· Managed full-cycle, marketing campaigns across web, social, apps, and mobile web.
· Ran competitive analysis and developed go-to-market strategies for web and mobile products. In collaboration with analytics teams, implemented a React, Respond, and Rise Campaign Monitoring strategy, utilising real- time data, predictive analytics, and sentiment analysis.
· As part of a cross-functional product dev. team, launched the 2013 ThesaurusRex app, and led market research for potential gamified literacy and early reading apps.
English Language Teacher, Summer Session, Musashino University. Department of English Language and Literature. 2011, 2012, 2013
· As a Musashino University cultural exchange educator, taught university summer courses in conversational English, TOIEC exam preparation and composition for business and further education.