TEACHING

I am a dedicated, passionate educator with over ten years of experience teaching students of all ages.  I have worked as an instructional technology specialist in an elementary school; an instrumental and vocal music teacher in both middle and high schools; a songwriting instructor at the community-college level; a teaching assistant at the doctoral level, working with both Ed.D. and Ph.D. students; and as an instructional leader for research workshops in the Occidental College library.  I have developed original syllabi and revised existing courses to improve their efficacy. 

Over the course of my five years working as a music educator in Las Vegas, NV, I developed a reputation for creating positive social environments in my classrooms. Building on the sense of shared community, I was able to dramatically increase enrollment in music; at Basic High School, my orchestra program grew from just under 40 students to just over 200 students over the course of two years. Over three years at Liberty High School, my band program grew from 36 students to 194. At both schools, I was able to maintain a high level of proficiency as the programs grew, consistently earning first-division, superior ratings at local and regional music festivals, and first-place, best-in-class placements in marching band competitions.

I also have extensive experience working with digital and online tools for instruction. I am familiar with multiple online course management systems, including Blackboard and Moodle, and I have developed and implemented Open Educational Resources materials for use in higher education contexts.

I am committed to providing innovative, engaging experiences for students, and have spent a significant part of my career developing and exploring new ways to employ technological and pedagogical tools in my classrooms. I have expert-level knowledge of Open Educational Resources, Dropbox, Google Docs, Google Classroom, Adobe Connect, and other online collaboration tools.

 

UNIVERSITY TEACHING EXPERIENCE

 University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA

  • Fundamentals of Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (Summer, 2014), Graduate Level (Ed.D.)

           Teaching Assistant.  Course Instructor: Patricia Burch

  • Introduction to Qualitative Methods in Educational Research (Summer, 2014), Graduate Level (Ph.D.)

            Teaching Assistant.  Course Instructor: Estela Bensimon

  • Schooling as an Economic Enterprise (Spring, 2014), Graduate Level (Ed.D.)

            Teaching Assistant.  Course Instructors: Lawrence O. Picus & Guilbert C. Hentschke

  • Globalization and the Nation-State: Theories of Change in Education (Fall, 2013), Graduate Level (Ph.D.)

            Teaching Assistant.  Course Instructor: Guilbert C. Hentschke

 McNally-Smith College of Music

St. Paul, MN

  • Seminar in Urban Songwriting (Fall, 2003), Undergraduate Level (Artist Certificate)

            Adjunct Instructor

 

K-12 TEACHING EXPERIENCE

 Clark County School District

LasVegas, NV

  • Liberty High School

            Band Director (2009-2012), Grades 9-12

            Choir Director (2010-2011), Grades 9-12

            Guitar Instructor (2009-2010), Grades 9-12

  • Basic High School

            Orchestra Director (2007-2009), Grades 9-12

            Guitar Instructor (2007-2009), Grades 9-12

 Independent School District 273

Edina, MN

  • Highlands Elementary School

            Instructional Technology Specialist (2003-2005), Grades K-5

 St. Olaf College TRiO/Upward Bound

Northfield, MN

  • Summer Arts Immersion Class (2000-2004), Grades 9-10

            Lead Teacher