Teaching

2010-Present

University of North Texas (Denton, TX)

Computers in the Classroom (LTEC 4100): This survey course introduces preservice educators to techniques for integrating technology into daily classroom activities. Topics covered in this course are areas that impact or have the potential to impact educators working in the classroom environment. Special emphasis will be placed on constructing relevant and appropriate instructional environments.

2009-2010

University of Illinois at Springfield (Springfield, IL)

Teaching, Learning and Assessment (TEP 322): The course focuses on major approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. Introduces the standards required of all teachers in Illinois and begins work on the candidates' professional teaching portfolio.

Secondary Social Studies Methods (TEP 438): This course provides pre-service teachers with a comprehensive overview of effective approaches to planning, implementing, managing, and assessing successful social studies learning experiences for students.  Emphasis will be placed on exploring the relationship between educational theory and the development of practical teaching techniques for everyday use in the secondary social studies classroom. In this course, we will examine the following areas of social studies education: standards & accountability, curriculum/unit/lesson planning, instructional methods/approaches, engaging approaches for the teaching of history, government, civics, economics, sociology/psychology and multiculturalism.

2005-2009

University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)

Applied Teaching with Technology (EDLF 545): Applied Teaching with Technology was a unique opportunity for students to learn about the use and integration of leading edge technologies and apply technology to support learning in a K-12 setting. The highlight of the course was the Technology Infusion Program (TIP), which partnered each EDLF 545 student with a mentor teacher in an Albemarle County school to design and implement a technology-enhanced instructional module. The internship provided the students with practical classroom experience and the Albemarle County teachers with professional development on educational technologies and their applications.

Teaching with Technology (EDLF 345): This class is required for all preservice teachers in the Curry School of Education Masters of Teaching program. My sections were designed specifically for those focusing on elementary and special education. Topics covered include digital media authoring, Fair Use, assistive technology, information literacy, software and website evaluation, and integrating technology into lesson plans.

Digital Media Development (EDLF 707): This 3-week intense course taught during the second summer session in the Curry School is open to all graduate and undergraduate students. Using web page development as a platform, students created digital media using Dreamweaver, Flash, PhotoShop, MovieMaker and Audacity. They then integrated their work into an electronic portfolio.

Teacher Professional Development: I taught technology-based professional development on two different occasions to teachers in Bedford County, VA and Norfolk, VA. The Bedford County workshop was designed for secondary English teachers and spanned 5 days. Topics covered were podcasting, digital movie making, blogs and standards-based technology integration. The Norfolk professional development focused on integrating PrimaryAccess, a web-based digital video editor, into middle and high school social studies instruction.

Teaching Elementary Social Studies (EDIS 534): For this class, I served as Teaching Assistant to Patrice Grimes, a Social Studies Education professor in the Curry School. The course focused on effective methods for delivering social studies instruction to K-5 students. Preservice teachers taking this course designed lesson plans, integrated units and curriculum maps, as well as researched available resources for social studies instruction.

Viewing American History Through American Art (HIUS 401-E): I served as a technical advisor for this course as students created digital documentaries about the 1920's and 30's using PrimaryAccess.

2002-2011

Casper College (Casper, WY)

Interpersonal Communication (CO/M 1030): This summer course was designed to focus on the fundamentals of Interpersonal Communication, Interpersonal skill development, and understanding of dyadic relationships. I taught this course in both the classroom and online setting.

2001-2005

Natrona County School District (Casper, WY)

Willard Elementary School: From 2001-2003, I taught a self-contained sixth grade class. My responsibilities included teaching all content areas and striving endlessly to not succumb to the pre-teen sense of humor. In that responsibility I failed miserably. From 2003-2005, I taught third grade in a team setting. As a Title I and Reading First school, teaching responsibilities were distributed among a team of talented and dedicated educators, from whom I gained a wealth of knowledge.

Kelly Walsh High School: In addition to my pursuits as a teacher, I coached cross country and boys' soccer. Having finished last in the state the previous year, the head coach and I built a winning program with 6 meet titles, over 20 top-3 finishes and three straight top-4 finishes at the State meet. Having already obtained a tradition of excellence, the boys' soccer team won the State championship 3 out of 4 years during my time as an assistant coach. The experience of coaching high school athletes and convincing them that winning is worth the extra effort has been, and always will be, one of the highlights in my life.

1999-2001

Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO)

Public Speaking and Discussion (SP 200): As a Master's student in the Speech Communication department, I had the amazing opportunity to teach public speaking to undergraduate students from every college and department at the university. Though the contextual factor of teaching a required course to, in most cases, reluctant students made teaching this course challenging, the experience was worth it as the participants grew to enjoy and value the skill of public discourse.

1995-1999

Grapevine/Colleyville Independent School District (Grapevine, TX)

Timberline Elementary School: This is where it all started. I often joke that my education started after I graduated from college. Through the support of my family, top-notch teaching colleagues and a wonderful prinicipal, I survived my first year of teaching and developed into a confident teacher. The decision to leave this position in pursuit of an advanced degree in another field was one of the hardest I've made to date. Yet, there it all worked out as it was supposed to and I may just cross this part of my path again someday.