Vocab Lab: Latin Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

I am a certified teacher of English and Theatre Arts based in New York. For the past ten years, I've worked in middle schools and high schools, public and private, bringing language and literature to life with dynamic theatrical techniques.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I began my career as a freelance tutor and teaching artist. In addition to academic tutoring, I taught acting classes and directed students in theatrical productions. Later, I returned to school for my MFA in Musical Theatre Writing at New York University, where I wrote the book and lyrics for the original musical Benjamin Starling.

In 2011, I gained my New York State teaching license and began working full-time in schools. At a small performing arts-themed public high school in Manhattan, I taught 10th and 12th grade English, preparing students for the Regents and AP English exam while exploring great works of English and American literature. Since I taught all the tenth and twelfth graders in the school, I learned to accommodate a wide variety of skill levels and learning styles. My theatre background was a huge asset: incorporating aspects of playwriting and performance in my ELA activities was a great way to offer multiple access points and increase student engagement.

I also took on leadership roles in extracurricular activities, advising the Debate Team and the Poetry Club. I believe that developing students’ self-expression and self-understanding is conducive to their success in English Language Arts as well as their social-emotional learning.

After working in the city for five years, I began working at a small private middle school where I current teach grades 6-8. In addition to teaching English, I produce and direct each year’s middle school musical. Our school continued regular daily instruction via Zoom during the coronavirus pandemic, so I have quickly become experienced at delivering remote instruction and adapting lessons/curricula to the distance learning modality.

My areas of interest include literature, drama, journalism, poetry, songwriting, and musical theatre. I enjoy working with all ages, all skill levels and abilities. As an English teacher and theatre professional, I believe that all learners can be successful and find fulfillment through creative self-expression.