About Me

About Me

I love working with teenagers and watching them grow in their thinking and understanding. Somehow I've been teaching English for over 30 years, on and off, as life allows. I set high standards for myself and my students, but I also consider myself an approachable and compassionate teacher.

Somewhere around 2010, I began administering the Woodcock-Johnson Achievement in an effort to provide quality feedback to homeschool parents. I administer the test in my home and sit down with parents afterward to offer insights. To me, it’s less about the test and more about growth and progress from year to year.

Teaching Experience

Over the years, I’ve taught a range of middle school, high school, and college courses. I began teaching as an undergraduate and continued through graduate school as a teaching assistant, teaching Freshman Composition at Clemson. Before we had children, I taught high school English in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System. Here are some of the classes I’ve taught through the years, both professionally and in the homeschool community:

AP Language & Composition
AP Literature & Composition
High School British, American, and World Literature
Speech & Debate
Senior English
Freshman Composition
Essentials—Classical Conversations

Formal Education

M.A. in English, Clemson University, 1993
B.A. in English, minor in Secondary Education, James Madison University, 1991

A Bit More Personally

I’m originally from Buffalo, New York, but have lived in Asheville for 24 years. I've  homeschooled our three children, who are now ages 26, 24, and 21 (they really do grow up!). Outside the classroom, I enjoy gardening, travel, local history, and genealogy. Over the past year we've had our eldest daughter marry, our son become involved in overseas work, our youngest graduate from college, and survived a year-long-home remodel.  Whew!  It's been a LOT, but all good, and I look forward to getting back to teaching again.