"Hello! I've had a love for English/writing/literature/storytelling my whole life. In my first incarnation, I was a screenwriter in Los Angeles for over 20 years, writing movies for such companies such as Disney, Nickelodeon and MGM. I wrote the Jackie Chan film AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS.

When I moved to the DMV in 2018, I switched my focus to education and taught a screenwriting class at George Mason University. I currently teach an online "classic books and writing" class to gifted high school students. I have my VA Teacher's License and have taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grade English at both public and private schools.

I believe the key to success in English is to find a path to engage each student, through creative writing and storytelling, based on their own personal interests and passions. I prefer to take what I consider the "less fun" ELA subjects like grammar, spelling and punctuation and enforce them in real life contexts, meaning I like to have students take what I teach them and apply it to their own writing. Grammar, in particular, doesn't always resonate with students if it's taught in a vacuum (a grammar book). When a student is able to utilize that knowledge in their own work, suddenly it gives a sense of purpose to those lessons, and it's much more likely to stick with them.

If you have a student who can meet me half way, I will find a way to make English engaging and useful. I am excited to help them learn!" less...