"I recently retired after spending forty happy years teaching Drama, English, Music and Latin up and down the East Coast in independent schools. What I have always enjoyed most about young people is their energy and optimism about the future; my confidence in their ability to make informed choices and positive changes in this world--which will soon be theirs to run-- is as strong now as it ever was.

I have taught 8th and 9th grade English for many decades. As a lover of words and a writer myself of plays, songs and essays, I take writing (and re-writing and re-writing) very seriously. All students can be taught to write better but only if they realize that Writing is actually Thinking captured on paper (or hard drive). Learning to think logically and make a supportable argument come first; grammar and mechanics are important but they are the frame for the picture. I thoroughly enjoy helping students work on both aspects of their unique masterpieces.

I have a major in Theatre and minors in Classics and Education from Florida State University and have extensive graduate coursework in both Theatre and Instrumental and Choral Music Education. In addition to teaching I have also been a choral and band director, stage director, professional actor and musician.

My particular passion is Latin 1; I enjoy teaching beginners very much, making sure they understand from day one that this most amazing and most influential of languages can be learned (and even enjoyed!) without suffering. I never tire of explaining how it works while at the same time I am old-school when it comes to memorization and hard work. I truly believe everyone can learn Latin and that even a single year of Latin will make a lifetime of difference in a student's education." less...