This website is basically a repository of my work as a teacher of English as a foreign language and a teacher trainer in Turkmenistan and Russia. Here, you will find lessons, presentation abstracts, a teaching journal and various observations related to my time as an English Language Fellow in the former Soviet Union.
I have been teaching English since 2001, when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Uzbekistan. Prior to this, I wrote for a newspaper in North Alabama, but knew right away in Uzbekistan that the classroom was where I belong.
I earned a master’s degree in TESOL in 2003 from the American University in Washington, DC. After this, I worked as an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College’s College ESL program. This is where my interests in teaching academic reading and writing first developed.
In 2005 and 2006, I worked at Presidency University in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where I taught academic writing and helped redesign their English curriculum.
In 2006 and 2007, I was the English Language Fellow in Turkmenistan, where I worked at a teacher’s organization to conduct regular teacher-training workshops and seminars.
From 2007 to 2009, I worked full-time at Northern Virginia Community College.
Since September of 2009, however, I have been a Senior English Language Fellow in St. Petersburg, Russia. Here, I work at a pedagogical university and an in-service teacher-training academy. In addition, I conduct regular workshops and seminars both in and outside of the city.