English Teacher
Combining her love of reading and travel, Mrs. Cooper wants to visit St. Petersburg, Russia, and see all the sites in Dostoyevski's Crime and Punishment.
Impacting Students
I enjoy teaching a lesson on satirical devices in Orwell’s Animal Farm. Students break down and analyze passages in the book identifying specific techniques of satire such as juxtaposition, diminution, inflation, irony, and parody. They learn how and why the author uses farm animals to both mock and criticize Stalin's Soviet totalitarian rule, taking away an understanding of the power of satire as a didactic tool in which to bring about change in society.
Lifelong Learner
Kai Sionas (English department chair) is leading an initiative to teach students how to both question and deconstruct canon. I have started to incorporate lessons on viewing some of the literature I teach through various different critical lenses (feminist, Marxist, postcolonial, historicist).
Favorite Teaching Moment
Watching a student act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet in which Juliet is on pins and needles awaiting the Nurse to deliver the news of her marriage proposal to Romeo. The student in Juliet’s role truly embodied her character and captured Juliet’s nervous sense of anticipation. Further, her classmates were amped up by her performance, and they, in turn, upped the level of their own performances.
Fun Fact
I can use my voice to imitate almost anyone.
Why I Love Teaching
I am passionate about delivering a quality education to all learners, and I love my subject matter.
Best Childhood Memory
Playing football with my three older brothers.
Hometown
McLean, VA
Joined Graland In...
2017
Also Known As...
SEED Member (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity)
Education
Master's in English from California State University, Los Angeles
Bachelor's in English from Georgetown University
Impacting Students
I enjoy teaching a lesson on satirical devices in Orwell’s Animal Farm. Students break down and analyze passages in the book identifying specific techniques of satire such as juxtaposition, diminution, inflation, irony, and parody. They learn how and why the author uses farm animals to both mock and criticize Stalin's Soviet totalitarian rule, taking away an understanding of the power of satire as a didactic tool in which to bring about change in society.
Lifelong Learner
Kai Sionas (English department chair) is leading an initiative to teach students how to both question and deconstruct canon. I have started to incorporate lessons on viewing some of the literature I teach through various different critical lenses (feminist, Marxist, postcolonial, historicist).
Favorite Teaching Moment
Watching a student act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet in which Juliet is on pins and needles awaiting the Nurse to deliver the news of her marriage proposal to Romeo. The student in Juliet’s role truly embodied her character and captured Juliet’s nervous sense of anticipation. Further, her classmates were amped up by her performance, and they, in turn, upped the level of their own performances.
Fun Fact
I can use my voice to imitate almost anyone.
Why I Love Teaching
I am passionate about delivering a quality education to all learners, and I love my subject matter.
Best Childhood Memory
Playing football with my three older brothers.
Hometown
McLean, VA
Joined Graland In...
2017
Also Known As...
SEED Member (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity)
Education
Master's in English from California State University, Los Angeles
Bachelor's in English from Georgetown University
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
