About Me
I graduated from Okemos High School in 2003, then I dove right into studying literature at Michigan State University. Unsure of what I wanted to do with my life and looking for an adventure, I moved to San Francisco, CA. After enjoying substitute teaching I decided to commit to becoming an English teacher, which brings me to where I am now: graduating from the Post BA Teacher Certification program at MSU.
I tend to spend my spare time reading (Contemporary Fiction, YA Lit, Classics, Science Fiction, Comic Books, etc), rollerblading, drinking coffee, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, catching up with old friends, and seeing movies, plays, and musicals. I’d love to be involved with fostering an appreciation of the arts in students at the secondary level. There are several ways I can see that happening. It might be a book club, a film club, a drama program, or a creative writing society.
I tend to spend my spare time reading (Contemporary Fiction, YA Lit, Classics, Science Fiction, Comic Books, etc), rollerblading, drinking coffee, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, catching up with old friends, and seeing movies, plays, and musicals. I’d love to be involved with fostering an appreciation of the arts in students at the secondary level. There are several ways I can see that happening. It might be a book club, a film club, a drama program, or a creative writing society.
Why I Want to Be a Teacher
"Why do you want to be an English teacher?" is a question that comes up frequently in the life of an educator. When people ask me that question, I usually come up short. It's not an easy question to answer. How can you summarize your life's passion into one simple sentence? The best I can do is attempt to list all the reasons behind my decision to commit to helping young people succeed in their lives:
"I want to help young people discover a love for literature in the hopes that it will serve them as well as it has served me."
"I want to enable students to think for themselves."
"I want students to develop critical faculties through which to question the world and form their own opinion about right and wrong."
"I want to talk about books and ideas all day, every day."
"I want to show students the world."
"I want students to see what life is like for someone whose situation is completely unlike their own."
"I want to do something I'm good at for the rest of my life."
"I want to be an advocate for students who might otherwise slip through the cracks and help them find the tools they need to succeed in life beyond the classroom."
"I want to challenge myself and grow as a person in a career that will change lives."
"I want to change the world."
"I want to help young people discover a love for literature in the hopes that it will serve them as well as it has served me."
"I want to enable students to think for themselves."
"I want students to develop critical faculties through which to question the world and form their own opinion about right and wrong."
"I want to talk about books and ideas all day, every day."
"I want to show students the world."
"I want students to see what life is like for someone whose situation is completely unlike their own."
"I want to do something I'm good at for the rest of my life."
"I want to be an advocate for students who might otherwise slip through the cracks and help them find the tools they need to succeed in life beyond the classroom."
"I want to challenge myself and grow as a person in a career that will change lives."
"I want to change the world."
What am I reading right now?
I'm currently reading Divergent by Veronica Roth, Night Film by Marisha Pessl, Selected Stories by H.P. Lovecraft, and The Three Muskateers by Alexandre Dumas. My favorite books of all time, though, are Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.
For a more complete account of my literary life, you can check out a website called Goodreads.com. It's basically Facebook, but for books. My friends and I call it "Bookbook". It's a social network where you can talk about what you're reading, what you've read, and what you intend to read. You can add friends and see what their bookshelf looks like. If you want, feel free to check out my Goodreads account!
For a more complete account of my literary life, you can check out a website called Goodreads.com. It's basically Facebook, but for books. My friends and I call it "Bookbook". It's a social network where you can talk about what you're reading, what you've read, and what you intend to read. You can add friends and see what their bookshelf looks like. If you want, feel free to check out my Goodreads account!