Other Teaching and Activities

Graduate Writing Center.  As a writing adviser at the Yale Graduate Writing Center, I learned many techniques for teaching writing and composition to students in all disciplines.
— My goal is to coach students to be confident, independent writers.  I believe writing is an essential skill no matter what one’s goals in life, and I am passionate about helping students find their own voice while maintaining high standards of syntax and coherence.
— I give constructive feedback on writing at both higher-order (argument, thesis, tone, organization) and lower-order (sentence structure, transitions, grammar) concerns.
— I have developed tutorials for problem areas (such as paragraph structure, transitions, or verb tenses).
— A resource that I often use is the Williams and Colomb’s manual, Style: The Basic of Clarity and Grace.

This sample consists of a progression of feedback on four short essays written by a non-native speaker of English.  The student and I discussed the first two essays in depth, marking many places for improvement; in the third essay I underlined areas for improvement and he revised; and in the last essay the student had to identify problem areas on his own and self-edit.

Sample of Writing Feedback

Brazilian Performing Arts.  I began studying capoeira and samba  in 2009 at the CT Capoeira and Dance Center.  In 2012 I began as a substitute instructor.  Even in this recreational activity, I have deepened my understanding of effective teaching.  In the samba class, there are people of all ages and abilities, from 7 to 47 years old, from true beginners to experienced dancers.
— Through teaching samba, I learned how to be inclusive and how to make modifications for individual needs, pairing precise technique with personal expression.
— In samba as in my academic classes, I give students the floor.  I employ active learning to get students dancing, or talking/writing, as much as possible.
— When presenting a choreography, I begin immediately with the movements and then workshop difficult áreas.  Similarly, in the classroom I present a topic to probe how much students know and how big of a leap they can take on their own.  Then I provide feedback and support where I see that they are either struggling or have an opportunity to grow.

Please enjoy this video of a brief performance by our class at the CT Capoeira and Dance Center (New Haven, CT), where one can see the incredible product of a learning environment based on teamwork and diversity.