Teaching
"We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own." -Ben Sweetland
I am a second-year teacher at North Farmington High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Prior to that, I student taught for one year at Plymouth High School in Canton, Michigan and taught for two years at L'Anse Creuse High School-North in Macomb, Michigan. I have been a teacher of a variety of English and journalism courses including Advanced Composition, American Literature 10, AP English Language and Composition, English 9, English 11, Introduction to Journalism, Newspaper, Novels 12, and Yearbook. I am constantly striving to be a better educator, so I frequently attend professional development workshops and participate in internships in order to improve my instruction in the classroom.
Writing
"If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." -Toni Morrison
The summer of 2012 was when I realized my potential as a writer. I applied and was accepted into a four-week newspaper internship at The Oakland Press through the Michigan Press Association. During that month, I wrote, photographed, and/or videotaped over 35 stories, many of which were featured on the front page. To further my learning as both a writer and teacher of writing, I applied, interviewed, and participated in MSU's Red Cedar Writing Project (RCWP) Summer Institute in June 2014 where I became a National Writing Project Teacher Consultant. Since then, I not only continue freelancing for The Oakland Press and contributing to the Daily Tribune, but I also work on my own, personal writing on a frequent basis.
Leading Digitally
"Digital literacy is no longer a luxury, and we simply cannot wait to build the capacity in our students and colleagues, as well as ourselves." -Hicks and Turner
During the summer of 2013, I studied abroad in Galway, Ireland. There, I planned, advertised, and assisted in hosting a public, technology conference called #Great13 where several peers and I held a session on how to deliver effective presentations. This conference, as well as the other courses I took through the MAET program, not only shaped me as an educator, but because of them, I now dedicate time to teaching my colleagues how to better and more effectively use technology in their classrooms.