Background Information

EDUCATION and RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Secondary Certification Courses, Prairie View A & M University- Prairie View, Texas, 2003-2004.

State Certified French Secondary Teacher, May 2004

State Certified English Secondary Teacher, January 2007

PH.D, Performance Studies, Northwestern University- Evanston, IL, June 1998.

Dissertation Title: African Trickster Tales in Diaspora: A Study in Resistance in the Creole-Speaking Islands of South Carolina, and Guadeloupe, French West Indies.

Dissertation Focus: The study investigated how creolized languages of Gullah and French Creole promoted the continuation of African traditions, and how this orature in the form of trickster tales (e.g., Br’er Rabbit) became foundational elements in contemporary Black film (e.g., New Jack City).

Certificate in African Studies, Program in African Studies, Northwestern University- Evanston, IL, May 1995.

  M.A., Folklore, Western Kentucky University- Bowling Green, KY, Fall 1991.

B.A., English and French, Austin College-Sherman, TX, June 1990.

Study Abroad Program: Dîplome B: French pedagogy, Université de Nancy- Nancy, France, May 1989.

SECONDARY TEACHING EXPERIENCE

French Instructor, Levels I-IV, Honors, Pre-Advanced Placement & Advanced Placement, B.F. Terry High School-Rosenberg, TX, 2002-Present. Designed French curriculum based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, prepared lesson plans based on text, gave classroom instruction, provided tutorials, and scheduled teacher-parent conferences when necessary. Evaluated student progress through assignments, tests, and grading. Conducted Language Other Than English (LOTE) in-service teacher training. Served on the LOTE district state adoption book committee and on the Advanced Placement Courses’ accreditation committee.

English Instructor, Levels I-IV, B.F. Terry High School-Rosenberg, TX, 2004-Present. Designed English curriculum, prepared lesson plans based on text, gave classroom instruction, provided tutorials, and scheduled teacher-parent conferences when necessary. Evaluated student progress through assignments, tests, and grading. Developed technical and practical writing courses for seniors who do not meet the state’s academic standards for graduation. At least 90% of my students pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Exam each year.

 

 SAMPLE COLLEGE CLASSES

LITERATURE COURSES:

Adjunct Faculty, English Composition (ENGL 1301), Wharton County Junior College- Richmond, TX, 1999-2007. The course was designed to improve students’ ability to think objectively and to communicate effectively by stressing clarity and effectiveness in sentence, paragraph, and composition construction.

Adjunct Faculty, English Literature (ENGL 1302), Wharton County Junior College- Richmond, TX, 1999-2007. The course emphasized the process of applying critical thinking, organization, analysis, and interpretation of literature in writing a research paper.

THEATRE COURSES:

Instructor, Performative Traditions on the African Continent and Diaspora (THEA 320), Williams College-Williamstown, MA, Fall 1996-Spring 1997. This course examined three performance traditions in Africa and the African Diaspora: literary drama, oral traditions, and carnival as popular drama. The students prepared presentations on various aspects of African theatrical performance.

Cross-Cultural Courses:

Adjunct Faculty, Intercultural Communication (Communication 4314), University of Houston-Victoria, Fall 2008. The course examines the research behind how cultures communicate differently, the cultural factors that influence communication styles, and the conflicts that often ensue because of these differences; the course also teaches students how to effectively engage in intercultural interaction and move toward an appreciation of other cultures.

Adjunct Faculty, Global Culture (IST 201), Belhaven University-Houston, Spring 2010. The course examines how global culture impacts international business. It examines historical, economic, political, social, intellectual, and religious ideas through the lens of cultural anthropology and how these ideas compliment or deter the effective creation of enterprise.