Welcome to my web page.
I am entering my 16th year at Northern Michigan University, which
is located on the southern shore of Lake Superior in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. As Professor of English
- Secondary Education, I direct the English Education program and courses in secondary methods, writing, young adult literature,
and the humanities.
As part of my job at NMU, I supervise student teachers in secondary
English placements in middle and high schools in the region. NMU students can do internships not only in Michigan
and Wisconsin schools but also overseas. Recently, my students have taught in New Zealand, Ecuador, Germany,
France, Dominican Republic, and England. I'm still trying to convince the department to let me supervise outside of the
U.S. :)
Through my membership
in NMU's Teacher Education Advisory Council, I stay focused on the needs of local and regional teachers and administrators.
Our goal is to facilitate the ongoing relationships between the student teachers, the local schools, and the university education
programs.
I am a former NBCT (EA/ELA, 1995) through the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards. For more information on National Board Certification,
go to www.nbpts.org.
I am active as a member of the National Council of Teachers of English
(NCTE), the Conference on English Education (CEE), and the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC).
In May 2005 (Atlanta, Georgia) and in June 2007 (Lake Forest, Illinois)
I was invited to attend CEE's first Leadership and Policy Summits . In 2009, I
attended the first CEE Summer biennial Conference in Elmhurst, Illinois. I also attended the 2011 conference at Fordham
University in the Bronx. The 2013 conference was in Fort Collins, Colorado at Colorado State University. This year
(2015), we went back to Fordham in the Bronx for the CEE/IFTE conference. http://www.ncte.org/cee
Each year, I attend and present at national conferences in my fields
(NCTE, CCCC, CEE).
Active in the Michigan Council of Teachers of English and Michigan
Conference on English Education, I have served as the President of the MCTE, co-editor of the Language Arts
Journal of Michigan, and the Michigan Youth Arts Festival Liaison. For info on MCTE or LAJM,
go to http://mcte.info
"A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the
way for others." ~Author Unknown
.
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy in English Studies (Composition and Pedagogy) from Illinois State University
in Normal, Illinois (2001)
- Master of Arts in English (Composition and Pedagogy) from Texas A&M University - Commerce
in Commerce, Texas (1997)
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and
English from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas (1986)
Teacher Certification
- National Board for Professional Teaching Standards - Early Adolescence - English/Language Arts Certificate (1995-2005)
- Texas Certified in Secondary Psychology and English, (Lifetime certificate for grades 6-12)
Awards Excellence in Teaching Award, Northern Michigan University, 2014. Michigan
Campus Compact Grant, received in 2013.
-
MEEMIC Foundation for
the Future of Education Grant, received in 2011. Volunteer of the Year Award, Teaching Family Homes of Upper Michigan, 2007 and 2011.
TLC Faculty Award, Northern Michigan University, 2007. Learn and Serve America: Investing in College Futures/Brighter Futures
Grant, with funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service. 2007-2008. Excellence in Professional Development, Northern Michigan University,
2006.
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