I was born in Salem, MA, received a BS from Boston University in Communication, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from San Francisco State, and a Single Subject Teaching Credential in English from University of San Francisco.  I have also received a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from University of San Francisco.  I love teaching and that is good, as I have been teaching for 21 years.  I strive to achieve structured creativity  for my students and myself in all of my classes, the kind of creativity that brings joy to the heart and skills to the work place.  My curriculum is project based, highly cooperative, very loud, and based on as many authentic experiences as I can produce.  These authentic experiences involve many field trips and participation in school activities.  My classes must be fun and happy, as I spend so much time there.  

I teach 9th Grade English, 10th Grade English, and British and European Literature, all to English Language Learners (ELL).  All of my students are recent immigrants.  My classes involve a high degree of instruction in the different genres of expository writing.  Consequently, all classes involve some reading of expository writing, information writing, as a model for our writing instruction and practice.  The expository reading centers around the literature we are reading, creating a deeper understanding of that literature.  Further, my 9th and 10th Grade English classes are taught in 2 hour blocks.  Each 2 hour block has the same students, and we cover both literature classes during that time.  This is called blocking and has proven highly successful in skills development, alleviation of cultural shock, and high test scores at Lincoln High School.