About Me

I'm a University of South Alabama undergraduate pursuing degrees in English and Education, in hopes of teaching secondary language arts. My limited classroom experience to date includes tutoring in an elementary special education classroom, substitute teaching, and field work as required in the course of my studies. My diverse professional experience includes feature and beat writing for newspapers and magazines, graphic/web design, managing publication production teams and overseeing artistic standards, and providing paralegal support for an international law firm.

A brief word on "proper English"

Secondary English classes in America are thought to teach "proper English," but when we account for different styles of communication appropriate to the cultures of our increasingly diverse student population, "proper" seems to become a wholly subjective term. We should consider the definition and context of "proper English" before proceeding with its application.

By "proper English," we mean a specific set of grammar and syntax conventions, linear in narrative and based upon white, Euro-centric culture, that has become the de facto language of American education. Understand: I value the mastery of the standard American language; as an English teacher, it's my responsibility to help my students compose accurately and deftly, according to those conventions. But I must also recognize that students from different cultures communicate in different ways; as I teach these students to write "proper English," I must help them understand why we learn this language without critically evaluating the experience they bring to my classroom.