I’ve always loved reading and discussion. I was one of the kids in my high school ELA classes who “talked too much” because I was so excited to share my ideas. I majored in Literary Studies at Middlebury College, then went on to get my Master’s of Education from Johns Hopkins before teaching for 6 years in the public school system as a middle school and high school ELA teacher.

I proudly created spaces where students debated meaningfully and made connections between stories and their life experiences. I developed project-based curriculum where students designed programs intended to solve problems in their neighborhoods. I founded the first LGBTQ+ clubs at three different schools, and I created an entrepreneurship club where students successfully marketed and sold products they had designed. 

Eventually, I realized that the structure of the school system was designed to create workers, not thinkers. I wondered what education could look like if we encouraged children to pursue their passions and developed their skills in an individualized, interdisciplinary way. I thought about the impact that the education system has had on all of us: children and adults alike. 

I founded Novel Exchanges with the belief that learning is a life-long process. Each discussion seminar is an opportunity to critically think, listen, and learn from the ideas and experiences of others. The curriculum I develop is intended to support adults and children alike with having meaningful conversation and using 21st century research skills to explore the world around us. As a tutor, I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with one child at a time and give them the time, attention, and energy necessary to support them as they grow as a learner.

Join Novel Exchanges and become part of a community of life-long learners seeking to break free of the constraints of the educational system!

I believe that we are born with an inherent curiosity and desire to learn about the world around us. As a teacher and tutor, my role is to guide my students as they explore their passions and support them as they develop the skills to pursue their dreams. I agree with Franscisco Ferrer, the founder of the Modern School in Spain, who said: “All the value of education rests in the respect for the physical, intellectual, and moral will of the child…the real educator is…he who can best appeal to the child’s own energies.”

Too often, schools use a “1-size fits all” curriculum model that requires all students to do the same thing at the same time. As a private tutor, I devote my entire attention to your child’s growth. First and foremost, my goal is to understand what the children I work with want from their educational experience. 

In my group classes, I prioritize critical thinking over grades and worksheets. We read great stories and have real discussions about how those stories connect to the world. Then, we write about those stories. These skills work together: we read, and suddenly we are opened to a world of new ideas to speak about. As we discuss, we clarify our thoughts and learn from others. Once we understand, we communicate our newfound understandings through writing.