Teaching Experience

I like the coaching part of teaching more than the judging. I like learning, and I assume student do too. In my best classes, we both learn together. I like the line that Parker Palmer borrowed from Rilke: in teaching and learning we celebrate the “grace of great things.” I value analysis and deep thinking–I want students to have more analytical tools and skills after they’ve taken a class from me.

Research

My two broad areas of research have been the history of the English language and prescriptivism. I have written much about metalinguistic awareness of English from Old English to the present. Beyond that, my research has focused on the lexis of English throughout its histor.

Service

I like building, and I see citizenship assignments as opportunities to improve the department and university. I like seeing the best way to structure programs to help students. I like trying to find the mostly likely ways for colleagues to succeed in teaching and research.

Citizenship assignments

• Associate chair.
• Many search committees, chair and member.
• Dept. study abroad coordinator
• Learning Outcome and Curriculum committee for several areas.
• MA admissions committee.
• Rank and status committee (2 years)