Educational Philosophy

I believe that a student's best work is not always their first work and that revision plays an important role in the educational process. Every student receives constructive feedback in an effort to move them consistently forward in each of the afore mentioned media.

I believe that all students have a right to an individual relationship with their teachers. I provide comments and feedback on their journal entries at intervals and conference with them individually throughout the semester to make connections, identify barriers, and devise solutions.

Presently, I am a Lead Trainer at Apple, Inc. where I utilize my two decades of experience in video production to teach cinematography and editing to individuals and groups of all ages. I have been with Apple for nearly 14 years, teaching introductory coding, photographic techniques and editing, and even general computing. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, I have worked extensively in remote and hybrid models, managing and mentoring teams via technologies such as Slack, Webex and others.

Prior to Apple, I studied performance and technical theatre at Schoolcraft College. I have since performed leading roles in several theatrical productions ranging from the dramatic, larger-than-life title role in William Shakespeares’s King Lear to the subtly comic George in Same Time, Next Year, and all the way to David in David Sedaris’s 90-minute, one-man manic romp, The Santaland Diaries.

As a student teacher at Troy High School, I brought all of these skills to bear in the classroom. From dramatic readings of Milton’s Paradise Lost or Shakespeare’s Hamlet to a literary podcast produced in the wake of the coronavirus on-ground shut down of the schools, I worked to inspire my students by bringing literature to life—by making it leap from the page, into their mouths and into their hearts. Even before the pandemic-related closures and the subsequent move to a fully online format, my students engaged with literature through today’s media by producing their own podcasts and blogs, as well as live digital backchannel dialogues during regular socratic seminars.

I believe that it is important for students to create their own learning through projects and inquiry rather than through extensive lecture. As someone coming to education from another career, my life’s experiences help to provide real world context and background, aiding in discussions and helping to make challenging texts more relevant and exciting. My classroom is an open and safe community of learners where students are welcomed by name at the door and new ideas are entertained with an invitation for support and contextualization. At the end of each day, it is my goal that all students come away from my classroom with new skills that align with state standards, and with memorable and engaging experiences that aid them in connecting both emotionally and intellectually with content.

Additional Skills & Training

• Microsoft Office, Apple iWork

• Zoom, Webex Video Conferencing

• Schoology, Google Classroom

• Photo & Video Production, Editing

• Adobe Suite, Final Cut Pro, et al.

• Web Design

• Podcasting

• Acting for stage, screen

• Oral Interpretation of Literature

• Shakespeare Recitation

As an educator, I will continue my professional development by reading the latest research and trade books, and by seeking out and attending ongoing training through in-person seminars and webinars with organizations such as NCTE, NEA, and MEA. I will also maintain professional connections and relationships with my mentors from Oakland University and from Troy High School, my university cohort and education coworkers, and other professional organizations through which I can share and learn new and emerging best practices.

As an actor and filmmaker, I will continue to practice my craft by producing literary-themed educational videos and podcasts.

As a lifelong student, myself, I will continue my own learning by first pursing basic proficiency in both French and German—each critical to the evolution of the English language and therefore its semantic nature as used in literature. That done, I will begin a Doctor of Philosophy in English and Education, keeping up with the latest research and effective practices, and seeking ultimately to teach the next generation of English teachers.