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Teaching

"The whole secret of the teacher's force lies in the conviction that men are convertible. And they are. They want awakening."
Emerson, journals

Thomas Moran, Chasm of the Colorado, 1873-1874, Department of the Interior Museum, Washington, D.C. Painted following the artist's 1873 trip with John Wesley Powell to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River.

In my literature courses we play close attention to how the arrangement of language creates meaning, but also on the ways in which language is a social medium in which meaning is interactively made.  In these courses I draw on an interdisciplinary background to help students to integrate issues associated with aesthetics, politics, and the environment—with the goal of preparing them for life in a complicated and diverse society.

In my expository writing courses students undertake intensive practice in academic writing and textual interpretation and learn to sharpen their argumentative techniques, stylistic strategies, and rhetorical sophistication. I combine close analysis of texts with rigorous instruction in writing skills, emphasizing the process of revision.

Finally, in my technical writing classes, I explain the contexts and audiences students are likely to confront in professional situations. They should leave my class with the ability to perform the following:

	Write clear and concise memos, proposals, progress reports, requests for information, cover letters, and formal analytical reports
	Produce documents that meet professional standards of objectivity, format, documentation and tone
	Present information effectively for various audiences
	Generate strong, sound arguments; assess their validity; and present them in a written form typical of technical report writing found in business, industry and government
	Work collaboratively
	Use computer word-processing, presentation and web publishing software confidently and competently

In all of my classes, I work to maintain a balance between lecture and discussion, emphasizing an active and student-centered atmosphere through student-led discussions, group conferencing, or collaborative projects.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
        Radford University, Radford, VA, Assistant Professor, 1998-present
                        680 - Seminar in Ecocriticism, Fall 2000, Fall 2003                       
                        606 - Advanced Technical Writing, Spring 2001  
                        444 - American Realism and Naturalism, Fall 1999
                        443 - The American Renaissance, Spring 2001, Summer 2002
                        407 - Technical Editing, Spring 1999, Fall 2000
                        324 - Study of Non-Fiction:  The Literature of Place, Spring 1999, 2000
                        300 - Introduction to English Studies, Fall 2002
                        306 - Professional Writing, Spring 1999, 2000, 2001; Fall 2000, 2001, 2002
                        307 - Business Writing, Fall 1998, Summer 2000, 2002
                        203 - Awakenings in American Literature, Summer 2000; Fall 2001, 2002
                        102 - Reading, Writing and Research, "American Places," Spring 2000; “Food,    
                                 Clothing, and Shelter,” Spring 2002                       
                        101 - Expository Writing, Fall 1998, 1999, 2002, 203; Spring 2001,

        Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, Teaching Assistant, 1995 - present
            Technical Writing, Fall 1997 - Spring 1998
            Literature and the Environment, Spring 1998
            Major American Writers, Spring 1997
            Introduction to Literature, Fall 1996
            Expository Writing, "Writing and the Environment," Fall 1995 - Fall 1996

        The University of Akron Community and Technical College, Akron, OH, Part-time Faculty
    Business Writing and Composition, Fall 1997

        Columbus State Community College, Columbus, OH, Part-time Faculty, 1993-95
            Business Communications, Fall 1994 - Spring 1996
            Essay and Research, Fall 1993 - Fall 1995

        Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, Teaching Assistant, 1991-92
First-year Composition, Spring 1992

        The Pennington School, Pennington, NJ, English Teacher, 1989-1991
            English Literature Survey, 1989-90
            American Literature Survey, 1990-91