My two children, now grown, have gone through the Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools, a fact which I believe has helped me be a better teacher.  I understand the competitive culture of our schools and the desire all parents have for their children to be happy and successful (characteristics that often seem to be in opposition to each other).  I have counseled them (and thousands of students) to be true to themselves but also to be canny in the short-term decisions they make that can impact their long-term plans.  

When I retired from teaching, I discovered how much I missed working with young people. I also realized that retirement afforded me the opportunity to continue working with students and to individualize instruction in a way that was impossible in classes of 30+ students.  

My Academic Background

•B.A. summa cum laude Duke University

•M.A. Tulane University

•Course work for Ph.D. in English completed at       Tulane

My Teaching Experience

•Teaching Assistant at Tulane University and UNC-CH

•Instructor at Durham Technical Institute

•English teacher at Chapel Hill High School

•English teacher at East Chapel Hill High School

•Tutor at the Emily K Center working with students on   college application essays

My Teaching Honors

•Educator of the Year award from the Chapel Hill    Chamber of Commerce

•Teacher of the Year award from the Chapel Hill-  Carrboro System

 My Teaching Philosophy

•“Find the good and praise it” (Ralph Waldo Ellison)  and “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the  lighting of a fire” (William Butler Yeats).  

•Curious, passionate, and respectful teachers can  motivate students to become curious, passionate, and  respectful.

•Gaining new knowledge and mastering new skills can  be empowering.

•Individualized instruction tailored to the student’s  needs is the best way to motivate him/her to achieve  his/her goals.