Experience

The Front Porch

• United States
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Guitar, Mandolin, and Banjo Teacher at The Front Porch

  • Sep 2017 - Present

  Private Instruction: Beginner Guitar, Mandolin, and Banjo--and Group classes:Guitar--Beginner I for Teens & Adults.Guitar--Beginner II for Teens & Adults.Guitar--Railroad Songs for Teens and Adults.Introduction to Fingerstyle Guitar for Teens & Adults.Introduction to Paul Simon Fingerstyle Guitar.Banjo--Beginner I for Teens & Adults.Mandolin--Beginner I for Teens & Adults.Mandolin--Beginner II for Teens & Adults . Private Instruction: Beginner Guitar, Mandolin, and Banjo--and Group classes:Guitar--Beginner I for Teens & Adults.Guitar--Beginner II for Teens & Adults.Guitar--Railroad Songs for Teens and Adults.Introduction to Fingerstyle Guitar for Teens & Adults.Introduction to Paul Simon Fingerstyle Guitar.Banjo--Beginner I for Teens & Adults.Mandolin--Beginner I for Teens & Adults.Mandolin--Beginner II for Teens & Adults .



self

• Playwright

  • 2005 - Present

  My eight published plays are listed below. Collectively, as of 2022, my plays have been performed over 125 times. My eight published plays are listed below. Collectively, as of 2022, my plays have been performed over 125 times.



University of Virginia

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Reader, Department of Undergraduate Admissions

  • Oct 2017 - Mar 2018



Saint James School

• United States
• Education Administration Programs
• 1 - 100 Employee

• English Department Chair

  • Aug 1993 - Jun 2017

  My responsibilities as department chairman included: developing standards and curriculum, evaluating and guiding department members and student progress, meetings with the Associate Head and other department heads to discuss policy and procedure, hiring, book ordering, and scheduling. In addition, I have chaired a self-study of the Humanities Division at Saint James, producing a comprehensive and descriptive report of goals and skills for all humanities courses offered at Saint James. I have also served as an editor and writer for the ten-year accreditation report for our recent evaluation and visit by the National Association of Independent Schools.

• English Teacher/Theatre Director

  • Aug 1990 - Jun 2017

  Responsible for teaching four sections of literature-based expository writing to eighth, ninth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students a year. The focus in each of these courses is that the critical skills of analytical writing/reading can be taught in conjunction with an appreciation and respect for literature. Saint James School has a traditional college preparatory curriculum. As Director of the Theatre Program, I was responsible for producing, directing, and organizingfour dramatic productions a year. Play selection, auditions, financial arrangements, rehearsals, and coordinating the activities of the student actors and actresses, stage crew, art department, and music department were the main responsibilities of this position. Recent projects included: Arsenic and Old Lace, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Sound of Music, Seussical, The Madwoman of Chaillot, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Bye Bye Birdie, and The Nit Wits. In addition, I worked in a variety of technical, and non-technical, capacities, such as: hanging lights and painted drops, serving on construction crew, running crews, and strike crews, running scrim curtains, stage managing for Fine Arts Department showcases, recitals, and talent shows, inventorying costumes, prop shopping, auditioning, casting, creating lighting plots and sound plots, and choreography. In December 2010, I directed my 100th play at Saint James, our annual lower school Christmas spectacular, Saint George and the Dragon. Received hands-on, one-on-one training in small theatre pyrotechnics and aerotechnics from Theatre Effects, Hagerstown, Maryland in May 2001. I also served on the building and planning committee from 1992-1994 for the construction of The Bowman-Byron Fine Arts Center and Theater.



The Kildonan School

• United States
• Education Administration Programs
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Literature Department Chair/Language Training Tutor

  • Aug 1983 - Jun 1990

  As a member of the Upper School Literature Department, I taught two year long courses in either American or British Literature. Historically related issues and themes, literary devices, characterization, and setting were the major concerns of these courses and were reflected in weekly writing assignments, quizzes, and comprehensive term examinations. I also designed and taught an Oral History/Journalism course using desktop publishing applications.My responsibilities as department chairman included: developing standards and curriculum, evaluating department members and student progress, weekly meetings with the Director of Studies and other department heads to discuss policy and procedure, book ordering, scheduling, and department meetings.As a Language Training Tutor, I was responsible for designing and teaching four or five individualized courses in language remediation per year. Subjects emphasized included: expository writing, grammar, vocabulary, phonetic and non-phonetic spelling, reading comprehension, and SAT Test preparation. In daily one-on-one sessions, students were asked to become active participants in their education through a visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approach to their language studies using the Orton-Gillingham method. To reinforce daily lessons, students were required to attend a two and a half hour study hall each evening. The confidence and ability gained through this intensive tutorial program enabled dyslexic students to return to competitive preparatory schools or succeed on a college level.



University of Maryland

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Instructor of Freshman English

  • Aug 1980 - Jun 1983

  Designed, executed, and had total responsibility for two courses of expository writing per semester. Emphasized several approaches to the short story, essay, and film. Students were required to submit frequent critical writings, maintain a weekly journal, and participate in class discussion. Freshman English was a required course designed to utilize and improve analytical skills that are essential for the development of competent thinkers and writers. Designed, executed, and had total responsibility for two courses of expository writing per semester. Emphasized several approaches to the short story, essay, and film. Students were required to submit frequent critical writings, maintain a weekly journal, and participate in class discussion. Freshman English was a required course designed to utilize and improve analytical skills that are essential for the development of competent thinkers and writers.