Bio:
Since junior high, I have been curious and interested in the world beyond the U.S., other cultures, and different ways of seeing the world. In fact, I ended up minoring in History - East Asian Studies in college and living abroad in Taiwan for nearly a year where I began teaching English as a Foreign Language. After earning my Master’s in Foreign Language Education with an emphasis in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language), I worked as a VISTA volunteer resettling Cambodian refugees and teaching these new immigrants survival English as a Second Language (ESL). From teaching and interacting with the Cambodian refugees, I learned the importance of creating a safe and engaging classroom environment, being flexible and creative with my lesson plans, and respecting each student as an individual with hopes and dreams.
My teaching approach in the Drexel First-Year Writing Program (FYWP) is to facilitate students' learning the process of writing and reading like a writer.
I believe in creating a classroom environment that builds rapport, encourages active participation and respect for different cultures and backgrounds, collaborative learning, and giving students personal one-to-one feedback. Also, I believe it is important to create a classroom where students feel comfortable about asking questions, making mistakes, and communicating with students from different linguistic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. Lowering the affective filter is essential to successfully acquiring a second language.