I began teaching at 19 years old, in Shenyang, China, as an instructor of English as a Second Language to children ages 4 to 16. I flew into Beijing late on a Friday night; by 10 o’clock Sunday morning, I was in a classroom. The first lesson I ever taught was on past tense verbs, to a room full of 8-year-old children, with a 6-week online TESOL course and 2 hours of teacher observation as the sum total of my training. I spoke no Chinese. The August heat was suffocating. Their eyes blinked at me. It was not magical, or transcendent, or transformative, that day; and yet, in the midst of all of my panic and so much strangeness, something felt right enough to continue.
And so I have. Below is a list of the diverse teaching and curriculum development work I have done since 2004 in reverse chronological order, with links to samples of original materials developed for each. If you are a teacher and would like to use any of these materials, please feel free–I just ask that you credit me.
Plan II Honors Program, University of Texas at Austin
I developed and taught a 6-hour synchronous online training on facilitating dialogue for undergraduate peer dialogue facilitators engaging first-year students on topics like Race, Power and Injustice; Gender, Identity, and Sexuality; and Mental Health and Resilience. I facilitate a biweekly undergraduate facilitator learning community (Summer 2020-present).
Sample materials: Day 1 Training Agenda * 3 Approaches to Discussing Mental Wellness Based on Objective * Springboard Texts for Dialogue on Gender, Identity, & Sexuality Based on Objective
Humanities Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Difficult Dialogues Program
As Difficult Dialogues Program Coordinator, I develop pedagogical resources, curriculum, and trainings to support interdisciplinary faculty affiliates in incorporating dialogue on sensitive and controversial topics in both FTF and online classrooms, and I co-facilitate bimonthly Difficult Dialogues faculty learning community (Fall 2019-present).
Sample materials: Here is a folder of original activities and resources, including a guide to a comprehensive resource bank I created.
Austin Bat Cave, K-12 Writing
In my work as a volunteer with this Austin-based nonprofit offering writing programs for local K-12 students, I develop materials and teach one-time and long-term writing workshops for underserved Austin-area students. Last year, I provided instructional support on writing once a week in a bilingual 4th grade classroom. This past summer, I developed at-home creative writing activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m working now on developing open-access college essay writing guide designed for first-generation, low-income, and otherwise underserved students (also in partnership with Communities in Schools). (Spring 2019-present)
Sample materials: “A Story Without Words: 3 Writing Activities for PK-5th graders”
University of Texas at Austin, Undergraduate Courses
As Assistant Instructor/instructor of record:
SPN 611D: Second-Year Spanish II, Department of Spanish and Portuguese (Fall 2018, Spring 2019) (hybrid online/FTF course)
Sample materials: Actividad: Analizar una propaganda * Mixed tense verb practice * Wishin’ & Hopin’ guide to subjunctive * Cláusulas con si flow chart
SPN 601D: First-Year Spanish I, Department of Spanish and Portuguese (Fall 2017, Spring 2018)
Sample materials: La ciudad de las bestias reading activity * Mi monstruo assignment * Listening activity: Querido FBI * Exam 1 self-reflection
As Teaching Assistant: Before I had earned my Master’s degree, I worked as a TA for these writing-intensive first-year Signature Courses. I was asked to serve as Lead TA during the second year; as Lead TA, I managed logistics and facilitated collaborative teaching practices among a group of 8 TAs.
UGS 303: Russian Sci-Fi (Spring 2016)
UGS 303: Modernity, Anxiety, and the Art of the Uncanny (Spring 2015, Fall 2015)
UGS 303: The Pursuit of Happiness (Fall 2014)
Sample materials: Peer writing workshop form * Scientific method approach to cultural analysis
HOFT Institute, English as a Second Language
At this Austin, TX language institute, I taught ESL to a culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse group of adult learners: my students ranged in age from 18 to 50+ and came from a variety of countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Reading Level 4 (Fall 2019). Sample materials: Summative final exam * Tips for Skimming a Text * Reading activity: “Living Like Weasels”
Listening and Speaking Level 2 (Fall 2019). Sample materials: * First-day activity: Character introductions in parts * Summative final exam
Reading Rock Stars, Texas Book Festival, K-6 Reading
As a volunteer with this Austin-based nonprofit literacy organization, which distributes free books and arranges author visits in Title I elementary schools across the state, I developed reading curriculum aligned to Texas state standards (TEKS) for preK-5 students (Fall 2018, Spring 2019). As a community-based learning project, my Spanish 611D students partnered with RRS and translated several books from English into Spanish so that these books could be used in bilingual Texas classrooms.
Sample materials:
Koliganek School, Secondary English Language Arts
6th-8th grade English Language Arts. Combined-level classroom (Fall 2013)
9th-10th grade English Language Arts. Combined-level classroom (Fall 2013)
11th-12th grade English Language Arts. Combined-level classroom (Fall 2013)
International Scholars Program, IDEA College Preparatory San Benito
Founded, developed, and coordinated school’s first-ever study abroad program: a yearlong extracurricular seminar on cultural perspectives culminating in a ten-day trip to Monteverde, Costa Rica with 11 tenth-grade students. In partnership with The Cloud Forest School/Centro de Educación Creativa (Spring 2013)
IDEA College Preparatory San Benito, Secondary English Language Arts
10th grade English Language Arts (Fall 2012, Spring 2013)
9th grade English Language Arts (Fall 2011, Spring 2012)
Reading Intervention (Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012)
ACT Verbal Test Preparation (Spring 2013)
Teach For America Professional Development Workshops for Teachers (Rio Grande Valley region)
Classroom Management: Teaching With Love and Logic (Spring 2013, four sessions)
Dialogue-Based Pedagogy: Socratic Seminars (Spring 2013, one session)
Vocabulary Instruction: 3-point Sentences (Fall 2012, one session)
Futuro Latino Learning Center
Adult Beginner’s ESL (Fall 2010, Spring 2011)
Espacio Educación Bilingual Children’s Program (Fall 2010)
Developed ESL grammar guide and training materials for beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels. Trained, supervised, and evaluated 10-15 student volunteers per semester (Fall 2010, Spring 2011)
Instituto Monteverde, English as a Second Language
Designed and wrote a complete 12-week, 24-class basic course of English with full curricula for four levels as well as an “ESL Teachers Orientation.” Translated educational materials and curricula from Spanish to English for use in the Monteverde Institute Spanish Department (Spring 2009)
Ayutthaya Public High School, English as a Second Language
Intermediate ESL for 11th grade, classes of 40-50 students (Spring 2006)
Tai Yang Elementary School, English as a Second Language
Low-Intermediate ESL for 2nd and 3rd grades, classes of 30-40 students (Spring 2005)
ALIFA Sushan English Language Center, English as a Second Language
Beginner’s ESL for children age 4-6, 8 classes of 20-30 students per week (Fall 2004, Spring 2005)
Low-Intermediate ESL for children 6-10, 8 classes of 20-30 students per week (Fall 2004, Spring 2005)
Upper-Intermediate ESL for children 8-14, 8 classes of 20-30 students per week (Fall 2004, Spring 2005)
Advanced ESL for children 14-18, 8 classes of 20-30 students per week (Fall 2004, Spring 2005)