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Teaching Philosophy
As an alumnus of HFCC and a very non-traditional student myself, I feel
fortunate to possess a unique perspective on higher education that is a result of
my unconventional college experience. It is this perspective, I believe, that helps
me relate to my students, many of whom are also non-traditional students. Armed with
this insight, I do my best to anticipate and understand their particular and often
unique needs. I am, however, firmly committed to the concept that a college education -
a true education, one that teaches individuals to think and reason for themselves -
is possible and attainable for virtually anyone willing to put forth the effort
necessary to earn one.
Consequently, I feel I am doing my best work as an educator when I am fair but firm;
I expect the best from my students because I believe that most people will rise to the level of the
challenge. In doing so, however, I try to make myself as available as possible to ensure
that my students get the assistance they need to ensure their success.
Teaching Activity
Since I began my teaching career at Eastern Michigan University, I have
taught or assisted in the teaching of dozens of classes from developmental
writing to introductory literature courses. The list below offers
sample syllabi for a couple of my recent courses at HFCC.
ENG 093-17:
Paragraphs to Essays
ENG 132-71: College Writing and Research
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Bio
| Education |
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| Eastern Michigan University | M.A. (2003) |
| Eastern Michigan University | B.S. (2001) |
| Henry Ford Comm. College | A.A. (1990) |
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| Personal |
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| Shortly after graduating from Dearborn Heights' Crestwood High School,
I enrolled in the Honors Program at HFCC in the fall of 1987. Uncertain of my
career path at that point, I took a variety of courses - in the humanities, electronics
and business - that ultimately led to my earning a liberal arts degree here in 1990. Somewhere
along the way, however, inspired by HFCC and its instructors, I decided that a college teaching
position would be about the best job I could ever hope to have. |
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| Nonetheless, sometimes life gets in the way of our goals and for me this
became a "dream deferred." After marrying and beginning a family, though, I decided it was
finally time to get serious about fulfilling my dreams. I returned to school in 1998 and
completed my bachelor's degree in literature in 2001. With inertia on my side, I continued straight
through, completing my master's degree in English in 2003.
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| After gaining experience at both EMU and Wayne State University, I
started teaching here at HFCC as an adjunct instructor during the fall semester
of 2003 and began my stint as a full-time faculty member in winter 2004. While I am
currently focusing on acclimating myself to my new position, I intend to begin
work on my Ph.D. in the near future.
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