Teaching Philosophy: In my Comp I class, students will become active writers in two ways. First, they will learn how to respond informally through discussion topics to the issues contained in professional essays. These professional essays will function as sources of ideas for the students’ own writing, and the sharpening of their critical thinking skills. Secondly, students will develop their composition skills through the creation of several argumentation multi-paragraph essays which will include peer evaluations, practice in information retrieval from electronic and other sources, and the selection, restriction, organization, and development of topics. The course also offers the students opportunities to improve abilities with sentence structure, diction, and mechanics <> My Comp II class is a course which works on argumentative and reader-responsive writing, while exploring works of literature. Unlike Comp I where students read many professional non-fiction essays, here they read works of literature, specifically short stories and plays. All the writing here is argumentative and reader/response, focusing on the issues the works tap into, and students also get to work with basic research skills which they are expected to use in other courses. Thus, students come out of my classes knowing to complete both individual and group work assignments, which are sharpening both their independent and team-playing skills which they will need to be an active part of working America. <> I have a very no-nonsense approach to my classes, and the secret to student success is the following: You have to do your part. Read ALL my instructions Read all the assignments and submit your writings by their due dates, and the grade I record will represent your best self. <> Teaching Specialties: American Literature 1920-1980, Mark Twain, 18th Century British Literature, Jungian Psychology, Modern Western Drama from Ibsen to the present, Composition I, II, Introduction to Literature, Research Interests: American Drama Tennessee Williams <> Ph D English Language and Literature Drew University M Phil English Language and Literature Drew University MA English Language and Literature Butler University BA English Language and Literature Indiana University