Education & Experience
2023 will mark my 21st year with Neville High School, and my 25th year in education. I have an MA +30 in English Liberal Arts from the University of Louisiana in Monroe (then Northeast Louisiana University). I am a Level 2 Certified teacher in English Secondary Education with a Gifted Specialist Add-on from NSU in Natchitoches. I received training in scholastic journalism from the University of California in Berkeley and have been the Advisor for The Neville Tradition, Neville's student-run newspaper in print which is now in its 20th year.
I have served on Neville's leveling committee and worked as a Teacher Leader from 2014-2018, working with a teacher cohort to transition the English Language Arts curriculum from Louisiana's previous learning standards into the nationally competitive learning standards currently adopted by the state Board of Education. I am currently on the selection committee for Neville's Renaissance academic awards program.
Before coming to Neville in 2002-2003, I was the Young Adult Assistant Library at the Ouachita Parish Public library (main branch) and worked as an English instructor at Louisiana Tech in Ruston from 1998 to 2001.
Prior Service, Qualifications, & Honors
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August 2013 – 2015. Teacher Leader for Neville High School & Content Task Force in English II curriculum development
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June 2014: Louisiana Believes Teacher Leader Summit, New Orleans LA. Co-presenter reviewing Monroe City Schools Content Tasks Forces in ELA content. Presented to statewide district Superintendents. New Orleans, LA (Serena White, District Coach).
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2013: Louisiana Believes Teacher Leader Training, Lafayette LA.
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2010: Adobe Certified Associate Training and Certification in Adobe Photoshop CS4 using Certiprep software. NE Louisiana Technical College Region 8, Monroe, LA. (Debbie Collins, ACA Certified Consultant and Instructor).
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2009: Advanced Placement English Composition Institute, University of Louisiana Monroe.
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2008: Advanced Placement English Literature Institute, University of Louisiana Monroe
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2004: Attended Institute for High School Journalism at U Berkeley in California
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2000: Offered Fellowship to attend Fort Collins University graduate writing program
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2000: Grantwriter for Ouachita Parish Public Library (main branch) bringing Young Adult author Chris Crutcher to Monroe for reading and workshop for teen writers
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1996-2001: Various Publications including Denver Quarterly (poetry) and Cornell University (theory)
Select Community and Arts Involvement
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1998-2001: Volunteer Young Adult (10-17) workshops and outreach promoting literacy and social welfare - Louisiana Tech, Ouachita Parish Public Libraries
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Spring 2001- Summer 2004: Poetry Editor, Co-editor, and Masthead Consultant. Turnrow, an international literary journal of the arts (Chief Editors: William Ryan, Jack Heflin, housed at University of Louisiana in Monroe).
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2001-2004: Performing Arts Co-Host for “The After Nine Show,” Cottonport Coffee Shop (Robert Teague, Co-host).
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2004-2005: Board Member, Louisiana Folk Life Festival (Dr. Mike Luster, Director)
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2006: Speaker/Performance for Chautauqua Nexus, an arts and ideas forum hosted by Joe McGahan, Professor of Psychology at the University of Louisiana in Monroe
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2006: Committee member/Assessor for Lee Jr. High school improvement initiative (Monroe City Schools)