While growing up in the Shropshire Hills area, I was inspired early on to become a teacher by my own English teacher’s vivid dissection of a monologue by Lady Macbeth.
I believe that the big questions of education are also the big questions of life, and I'm grateful that I get to explore these through literature each day. My teaching emphasises a strong knowledge base while also including Socratic, aphoristic methods which encourage students to construct their own arguments and conclusions. Digital humanities is another interest of mine, and I often seek opportunities to enhance learning through the use of technology.
I recently completed my Master of Education at the University of Cambridge, where my research explored pedagogies and scaffolds designed to help students write narratives with greater emotional depth. I have also published research on creativity and improving student self-efficacy in the arts.
I love the literary history of Boston, from the society novels of Henry James to the brilliant ramblings of Dave Wallace. Apart from literature, my other hobbies include playing music, travelling, hiking, quizzing and short-story writing.