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My Mission

The purpose of Page and Pen Academy is to provide  rigorous and engaging self-paced literature units for home school families. My approach is simple: you don't need an English degree to guide your students effectively. My courses are structured to encourage parents to learn alongside their teens, creating a partnership built on shared discovery. 

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I believe: 

  • Literary analysis is a learnable skill, not an innate gift

  • Deep reading and handwritten analysis activate critical thinking in ways digital tools cannot

  • Every student deserves frameworks that make abstract concepts concrete and accessible

  • Diverse voices, experiences, and perspectives enrich our understanding of literature

  • Every student deserves to see themselves reflected in what they read and to feel safe sharing their interpretations

  • Families of all backgrounds, identities, and beliefs are welcome in our learning community​

My Story

I've spent 27 years in the classroom watching students transform their writing from hesitant surface-level observations into confident literary analysis. It never gets old —the moment when a student realizes they can trust their own interpretations; when close reading stops feeling like busywork and starts feeling like discovery.

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In my classroom, I've developed and refined techniques for teaching annotation, helped students move beyond surface-level observations, and created frameworks that help teens understand how literary devices connect to meaning. I've worked with students across ability levels, always emphasizing that diverse perspectives enrich our understanding of literature rather than threaten it.

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My experience includes

  • teaching courses in British literature, American literature, mythology, and business English 

  • working with all course levels including honors, college prep, and career prep

  • ​supporting gifted and at-risk students, as well as students with IEPs and 504s

  • advising multiple clubs including the Gay-Straight Alliance, Mythology Club, and Anime Club

  • coaching the Step Team 

  • serving my colleagues as English Department Chair

  • acting as faculty liaison for our district's educational foundation

 

I have enjoyed working with students, but I’ve always chafed at the controls the system put on my teaching. The curriculum demanded covering material, but I KNEW that depth mattered more than breadth. Teaching to the standardized test destroyed my students’ desire to explore literature and write complex, interesting analysis.  And, in recent years, the pressure of special interest groups to avoid literature that contained anything controversial meant that content was watered down to the point where teaching critical thinking through literature became impossible. 


I realized I was facing an untenable choice: continue teaching in a system that made it impossible to do what I knew was best for my students, or find a way to teach on my own terms.
 

Now, I'm bringing everything I've learned into Page and Pen Academy.


Page and Pen Academy offers the same student-centered, inclusive approach I've honed over my teaching career, adapted specifically for homeschool families. I'm here as your literary mentor, sharing the strategies that have worked in my classroom so you can confidently guide your student toward the analytical skills they need for college and beyond. I can't wait to show you how much students can grow when they spend time deeply exploring texts that challenge their preconceptions of the world.
 

Let's build those skills together. Join my email list and be among the first to work with me as I build this community.

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