C/V
Here’s what I’ve been up to lately…
Methow Valley School District
6th Grade Teacher, Liberty Bell Junior/Senior High School (August 2023 - Current), MAT, Certified in Secondary ELA, PE/Health
Mukilteo School District
Student Intern and Emergency Substitute Teacher (Sept. 2022-June 2023)
Year-long, 650-hour field placement in 7th and 8th grade fitness and health, and 8th grade ELA, including observation and teaching in endorsement areas. Culminating in 6-8 weeks of autonomous, standards-based, independent lead instruction.
Seattle Arts and Lectures
Writers in the Schools Program Manager (Feb. 2020 - Jan. 2023)
Managed and supported 25+ teaching artists in classroom support, pedagogical development, lesson planning, and anti-racist teaching practice in public school classrooms. Cultivated strong, vibrant public school, teacher, and writer relationships. Managed and developed a writer-mentor Apprentice Program, including hiring and onboarding of new WITS writers and apprentices. Held and lead quarterly professional development meetings and trainings, with a focus on anti-racist teaching practices, social emotional learning, and trauma-informed writing. Lead production on yearly student anthology, including editing, revising, and contacting chosen students and families. Wrote and collaborated on SAL's three-year strategic plan, taking the lead on writing SAL's five core values (and their defining characteristics): belonging, joy, curiosity, transparency, trust, and racial equity.
Instructor, English 284 and English 131 (Sept. 2017 - March 2020)
Developed and taught multiple English classes, complete with detailed syllabus, feedback, and grading policies. Designed specific courses geared towards ELL students, and looked specifically at media representations and multimodal texts. Developed a metacognitive feedback approach, including a rubric-based portfolio project, and an inclusive model of writing workshop.
Leader Creek Fisheries and Trident Seafoods
Commercial Fishing Deckhand
(Summers, May 2012 - September 2019)
Professional Development
"Indigenous Literature and Land-Based Pedagogy with Laura Da'": 2022, 2021 (OSPI)
Northwest Teaching for Social Justice Conference, 2022, 2021, 2020
Our Bodhi Project Racial Equity Training, 2022, 2021
Bystander Intervention Training, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, 2021
"Inclusionary Practices: Universal Design for Learning with Katie Novak, Ed.D" through Seattle Public Schools, 2021
Past Courses Taught
“Applying for Fellowships and Residencies” (Hugo House) Struggling to write a personal statement? Have no idea where to get started for grad school, a fellowship or residency applications? Beyond the writing sample, we can carefully craft statements that align with institutions and audiences AND represent us in an authentic way. In this workshop, we’ll go through a few successful sample personal statements, and talk through how writers might represent themselves and their values “on paper.” Come with a goal, or a draft, or not!
“Unlikeable Women” (Hugo House)
Throughout literature and film, women have been portrayed as either the witch or the angel, the whore or the virgin, whereas men have been given the freedom to be complex, disagreeable heroes and villains. In this course, we’ll examine how to portray female (and nonbinary) characters as nuanced, complicated, tough, and tender — with agency over their own stories. Reading will include works from Toni Morrison, Claire Vaye Watkins, Madeline ffitch, and Carmen Maria Machado.
"We, You and I: Collective Voice” (Hugo House)
First-person plural novels give voice to the previously invisible, compelling writers to offer their own version of identity beyond a perceived and privileged mainstream. But what makes us so uncomfortable about the first-person plural? We resist collective or group identity because we think of ourselves as individuals, not communities or coalitions. The collective first feels like an especially timely choice, as we continue to reconsider the ways communities are beholden to each other. In this course, we’ll read one novel written in the collective first person, examine its strengths and pitfalls, and then workshop one piece each.
Education
Masters in the Art of Teaching (MAT)
Central Washington University; Ellensburg, WA
June 2023
Certifications: Secondary ELA, PE/Health
Master of Fine Arts, Creative Writing (MFA)
University of Washington; Seattle, WA
June 2019
Masters of Arts, Creative Writing (MA)
Ohio University; Athens, OH
May 2016
Bachelor of Arts, English and Writing (BA)
Southern Oregon University; Ashland, OR
June 2013
Contact Me Here
pushkilane@gmail.com