Overview
Throughout my coursework at Michigan State, I have had many opportunities to expand my thinking both as a teacher and a reflective learner. The projects listed below exemplify several different aspects of my graduate studies, including engaging with content and curriculum, honing my skills as a writer, and developing my skills as an educator through reflective inquiry. Click on the project title to explore and sample my work.
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Engaging With Content and Curriculum
Throughout my coursework at Michigan State, I have had many opportunities to expand my thinking both as a teacher and a reflective learner. The projects listed below exemplify several different aspects of my graduate studies, including engaging with content and curriculum, honing my skills as a writer, and developing my skills as an educator through reflective inquiry. Click on the project title to explore and sample my work.
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Engaging With Content and Curriculum
Reflection on the Art of Teaching
I have had several opportunities to critically think and engage with scholarship regarding the practice of teaching. The following essay demonstrates some of my overarching beliefs and thoughts on the profession of teaching while I simultaneously reflect on Vivian Paley's writing in The Girl With The Brown Crayon.
I have had several opportunities to critically think and engage with scholarship regarding the practice of teaching. The following essay demonstrates some of my overarching beliefs and thoughts on the profession of teaching while I simultaneously reflect on Vivian Paley's writing in The Girl With The Brown Crayon.
Engaging With Multiculturalism in Literature
The following project represents some deep critical thinking as I deal with the complexities of multiculturalism in young adult literature, primarily through a comparison of Beth Kanell's book The Darkness Under the Water and Joseph Bruchac's Hidden Roots, two books that provide vastly different depictions of Native American groups.
The following project represents some deep critical thinking as I deal with the complexities of multiculturalism in young adult literature, primarily through a comparison of Beth Kanell's book The Darkness Under the Water and Joseph Bruchac's Hidden Roots, two books that provide vastly different depictions of Native American groups.
Exploring Issues Related to Dis/Ability and LGTBQ Representation in Literature
In addition to multicultural literature, this particular project focuses on the issue of normalcy and how literature representing marginalized populations is shown. In this essay, I critically analyze Marion Dane Bauer's Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence and Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind, two books that focus on underrepresented groups in society.
In addition to multicultural literature, this particular project focuses on the issue of normalcy and how literature representing marginalized populations is shown. In this essay, I critically analyze Marion Dane Bauer's Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence and Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind, two books that focus on underrepresented groups in society.
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Developing Writing Skills
Developing Writing Skills
Personal Memoir and Reflection
One of the most unique projects I completed gave me a chance to try my hand at a new type of writing. As such, I chose to write a lengthy personal narrative about my trip to watch MSU play in the Rose Bowl in 2014. At the end of the project, I included a reflection that summarized my thoughts about trying out different kinds of writing. This is by far one of the most thorough pieces of writing I have ever completed, and gave me a rare opportunity to "step outside my comfort zone" and develop my personal writing skills.
One of the most unique projects I completed gave me a chance to try my hand at a new type of writing. As such, I chose to write a lengthy personal narrative about my trip to watch MSU play in the Rose Bowl in 2014. At the end of the project, I included a reflection that summarized my thoughts about trying out different kinds of writing. This is by far one of the most thorough pieces of writing I have ever completed, and gave me a rare opportunity to "step outside my comfort zone" and develop my personal writing skills.
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Inquiry into Teaching Practices
Inquiry into Teaching Practices
Examination of Students' Literacy Practices
I found the following project to be particularly rewarding to me in terms of honing my skills as an educator, as it gave me an opportunity to conduct research on the demograhics of my school and then apply that knowledge to a survey of my students. The work in this project helped me to better create lessons targeting the unique groups of students I interact with everyday.
I found the following project to be particularly rewarding to me in terms of honing my skills as an educator, as it gave me an opportunity to conduct research on the demograhics of my school and then apply that knowledge to a survey of my students. The work in this project helped me to better create lessons targeting the unique groups of students I interact with everyday.
Experimenting With Student Feedback
As a teacher of English, I often find it difficult to give students thorough and accurate feedback on their writing. The following project allowed me to explore scholarship related to the teaching of writing while trying out several different systems for providing students with feedback. Ultimately, this project allowed me to weigh the positives and negatives of different feedback methods to develop my personal skills as an instructor of writing.
As a teacher of English, I often find it difficult to give students thorough and accurate feedback on their writing. The following project allowed me to explore scholarship related to the teaching of writing while trying out several different systems for providing students with feedback. Ultimately, this project allowed me to weigh the positives and negatives of different feedback methods to develop my personal skills as an instructor of writing.
Developing Content for Cross-Curricular Instruction
In addition to developing my teaching practice as an English educator, I have been provided with opportunities to think broadly beyond the English classroom and discerning ways to integrate reading and writing instruction throughout the curriculum. This particular project focuses on integrating independent reading in the social studies classroom. Broadly speaking, this project helped me to see how the concepts that are traditionally confined to the English classroom can be applied throughout the curriculum school-wide.
In addition to developing my teaching practice as an English educator, I have been provided with opportunities to think broadly beyond the English classroom and discerning ways to integrate reading and writing instruction throughout the curriculum. This particular project focuses on integrating independent reading in the social studies classroom. Broadly speaking, this project helped me to see how the concepts that are traditionally confined to the English classroom can be applied throughout the curriculum school-wide.
Building Instructional Strategies for Standardized Testing
This website is the culmination of a project in which I explored several strategies for teaching students how to write essays for the redesigned SAT without sacrificing content or having to rework entire units or sections of curriculum. The site provides an overview of the essay, a sample instructional unit, and several helpful resources for teachers. The work I did on this project proved to be an invaluable resource to myself and other teachers, as it helped many prepare to teach the SAT, a test which few knew little about at the time.
This website is the culmination of a project in which I explored several strategies for teaching students how to write essays for the redesigned SAT without sacrificing content or having to rework entire units or sections of curriculum. The site provides an overview of the essay, a sample instructional unit, and several helpful resources for teachers. The work I did on this project proved to be an invaluable resource to myself and other teachers, as it helped many prepare to teach the SAT, a test which few knew little about at the time.