Bethany Edstrom

English Teacher and Department Chair, Marianapolis Preparatory School, Thompson, CT (2007-12) Director of Residential Life, Idyllwild Arts Academy, Idyllwild, CA (2004-07) English Teacher, Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, CT (2002-04) Staff Teacher and Director, Arkansas Writers in the Schools, Fayetteville, AR (1998-2002 as Staff Teacher; 2000-02 as Director)

I like to mix things up! Teaching in independent schools, I've been fortunate enough to teach many of my classes around a Harkness table, and my native country as a teacher is the minimally-structured open discussion among students, teachers, and text. However, no teaching method is so effective that it can't benefit from variation from time to time. I also incorporate pair and small-group work, stations, and other activities that get students up out of their seats and moving around. At the high school level, I believe that students learn to write through close reading of model texts. I believe that grammar study is essential, but I've pared the grammar curriculum down to just a few topics that can directly contribute to students' growth as writers. I believe that good teachers should always find ways to individualize instruction. I am always willing to create custom lessons based on your individual needs. Please contact me to discuss custom orders.

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B.A. in Literature and Creative Writing, Dartmouth College (1998) M.F.A. in Creative Writing, University of Arkansas (2002)

Since 2012, I have been running a private tutoring practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. My students range from elementary school to adult. I am also a writer of fiction and nonfiction.