Resume

Professional Summary

• 5+ years improving the skills and confidence of ESL learners
• 1+ year training computer users in basics and Microsoft Office
• 10+ years writing and peer-reviewing academic papers
• 2 years editing college literary magazine and newspaper
• 4 years earning Master’s degrees in TESOL and English literature and education
• 2+ years training job seekers to find and keep work

Experience and Achievements

 

Computer Class Trainer / Library Associate, 7/11 to present

Lexington Public Library, Lexington, Kentucky

• Coordinated and increased participation in ongoing skills-development program
• Promoted staff development resources
• Nominated for 2012 Joseph H. Miller Customer Service Award

ESL Instructor, 8/09 to 5/11

Intensive English Program, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia

• Designed and taught courses in academic English grammar, writing, reading, GRE preparation, and American culture for adult ESL learners
• Initiated and conducted student satisfaction survey to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the IEP

Private ESL Tutor, 9/09 to 5/11

Morgantown, West Virginia

• Helped young native-Korean speaking students earn A and B grades in their American schools
• Improved the English language skills and confidence of 3 native-Korean speaking adults, including a visiting university professor

English Composition Instructor, 8/07 to 7/09

Department of English, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia

• Used traditional and new technologies to improve the writing of first-year university students
• Mentored new instructors
• Contributed materials to university-wide English composition textbook

Public Relations Assistant, 8/06 to 8/07

Indiana University Libraries, Bloomington, Indiana

• Promoted library use among students by helping create a “library survival guide”
• Proofread and updated news items for Web site
• Wrote and edited articles for newsletter and promotional materials

Education 

Alternate Teaching Certificate, 8/12 to present

Asbury University, Wilmore, Kentucky

M.A. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, 8/09 to 8/11

West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia

M.A. English Literature, 8/07 to 07/09

West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia

Library and Information Sciences (12 credits toward M.L.S.), 8/06 to 5/07

Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

B.A. English Literature and Creative Writing, 8/02 to 5/06

Emory and Henry College, Emory, Virginia

Yoga Teacher for a Day

I spent Friday morning teaching yoga to four groups of 40 2nd and 3rd graders and their teachers at an elementary school in West Virginia. Mind you, I've never taught yoga, haven't taken a yoga class in over a year, and didn't know I'd be teaching it until two days prior. I was most certainly outside my comfort zone.

So of course, I had a blast.

The students had never done yoga before, so I wanted to introduce them to yoga's benefits while making it fun and engaging, too. This meant doing a lot of animal poses, playing some games, and bringing volunteers up to the front to help me model poses. At the end of each 35 minute class, I led the students through the total relaxation (corpse) pose, which transformed the students so deeply I hoped all the teachers would consider incorporating it into their learning plans. I'm sure they wish they could. :)

The advantage of getting to teach the same lesson four times in a row was that I could get immediate feedback and make adjustments for each lesson. The disadvantage of only interacting with these students once is that I couldn't prepare the lessons to best suit their needs and personalities. Still, a good time was had by all, and I was reminded of how fun it is to be stretched a little bit--in body, mind, and teaching.