Cristen Martin
Personal Statement: I am a creative individual with strengths that include but are not limited to excellence in teaching, tutoring, curriculum creation, written and verbal communication, new skill and training facilitation, advising and success plan creation, working on stringent deadlines and working on both team and individual projects.
Education: University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA
Master of Arts in English
Graduated 5/2008
Grambling State University, Grambling, LA
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication with an emphasis in
news editorial.
Graduated 5/2005
Teaching Experience:
North American University, Houston, TX,
Full-time English Instructor 8/2012 - Present
- Created learning outcomes, rubrics, assessment tools and summary tables for composition and communication classes to assist the university with obtaining Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) regional accreditation.
- Facilitated faculty and student training
- Instructed students on ways to improve their writing by using the steps of the writing process and standard written English.
- Advised students in accordance with campus regulations
- Created course descriptions and syllabi templates for new elementary English education courses
- Incorporated the Moodle and Turnitin learning management site into classroom instruction
- Tutored students during office hours on English and writing related course subjects
- Served on the faculty appeals committee and the student disciplinary action committee
Houston Community College, Houston, TX
Adjunct English Instructor, 8/14– Present
- Instructed college students on ways to improve their writing by incorporating standard written English rules, the writing process, literary critical theories etc.
- Incorporated technology into class lecture and discussion including but not limited to classroom learning management sites such as Moodle and Canvas.
- Applied active teaching in the classroom by including vocabulary building and essay content games and teamwork building assignments into class lesson plans.
Alliant International University, San Diego, CA
Online Adjunct Faculty 5/2014 – (as needed)
- Instructed students on ways to improve their writing by using the steps of the writing process and standard written English
- Advised students in accordance with campus regulations
- Instructed Composition I and Technical Writing courses online
- Facilitated course discussions and posted assignment scoring and feedback via the Moodle learning management system.Westwood College, Houston, TX
- Full-time English Instructor, 8/08 – 8/12 Adjunct Faculty 8/12 – 10/13
- Organized and managed various aspects of the English instructional area as the lead English faculty member including facilitating English faculty meetings, book ordering, new faculty training etc.
- Developed an end-of-the-semester tutoring event designed to present workshops to students and assist them with preparing for end of the semester projects and exams.
- Participated in system wide General Education program chair calls, gave feedback on issues regarding general education departments, curriculum etc. in a 17 campus system
- Conducted several General education faculty meetings.
- Co-facilitated the entire governing of the General Education area PAC break-out sessions including the preparations of minutes for the entire PAC consultant meeting
- Maintained accurate and up-to-date documentation in the auditing binder for the campus General Education department.
- Facilitated English faculty meetings and led a staff of instructors
- Solely facilitated several eight hour training sessions entitled PT3 training geared toward demonstrating active teaching strategies to faculty members
- Personally created several training presentations and facilitated training sessions for faculty members entitled “Best Practices” trainings
- Observed faculty via the classroom coaching and classroom evaluation processes
- Observed potential faculty members and made written recommendations for hiring
- Managed the campus library during non-class time as the interim librarian
- Logged library materials using Surpass software
- Facilitated training for other college instructors to learn how to use the Turnitin plagiarism prevention internet tool and numerous other internet course aides in the classroom
- Selected to join a task force that developed a new class and instructional materials that were used by a 17 campus and online college system - Individually developed more than 50 percent of an extensive weekly lesson plan
- Networked and invited professional community consultants to become program advisory committee (PAC) members
- Instructed students on ways to improve their writing by using the steps of the writing process and standard written English
- Incorporated learning management sites into classroom instruction
- Trained new faculty on the use of LMS tools such as Edline and other electronic course aides available at the campus
- Applied active teaching in the classroom by including vocabulary building and essay content games and teamwork building assignments into class lesson plans
- Advised students in accordance with campus regulation at weeks four and seven of every term and at other times deemed necessary
- Regularly created formal written student success plans and conducted advising sessions with students that helped them establish and reach their educational goals
- Participated in several textbook selection committees that served the entire college system
- Selected by Wadsworth/Cengage to edit and revise content for a research writing website and a new course textbook
- Managed the campus library during non-class time as the interim librarian
- Logged library materials using Surpass software
- Facilitated training for other college instructors to learn how to use the Turnitin plagiarism prevention internet tool and numerous other internet course aides in the classroom
The Adult Reading Center, Pearland, TX
Part-time Faculty – 10/11 – Present
- Instructed students concerning ways to improve their reading, writing and mathematical skills in preparation for the General Equivalency Diploma/ General Educational Development (GED) test
- Incorporated technology and internet course aides to assist students with using supplemental instructional quizzes and improving or learning necessary school related and world-of-world computer skills
- Worked closely with and discussed success plans for all students including students with ESL and socio-economic challenges
- Helped students with a ninth grade or lower education level achieve a high school diploma equivalency status.
University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA
Graduate English Tutor, 1/08-5/08
- Assisted undergraduate students with organizing and completing writing assignments.
- Reviewed and explained grammar rules with students.
- Supported students during the writing process by helping them create essay topics and use research materials while they learned to edit their own work. Teaching Interests:
- Undergraduate English—Introduction of fundamental concepts of composition, including grammar, style, and technique
- Undergraduate English—Introduction of fundamental concepts of reading comprehension and active reading
- Undergraduate English----Focus on the production of real-world documents including resumes, proposals and other professional documents
- Undergraduate English—Focus on reading and interpretation of traditional and contemporary reading material
- Graduate English—Focus on Multicultural literature and history
- Graduate English—Focus on British literature in the nineteenth century including reviews of bildungsroman and epistolary novels
- Graduate English—Special survey discussing the writings of male and female authors in the southern region of the United States
- Graduate English—Survey of the majors and the minors: Discussing the writings of famous and obscure female authors Related Educational ExperienceEnglish 599 – Thesis – Thesis title: “A Rejection and Acceptance of Colonial Idealism in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart” – Graduate - EnglishEnglish 526 – Compressed Video Seminar - Technical Writing – Graduate - EnglishEnglish 526 – Compressed Video Seminar – Metaphysical Poetry – GraduateEnglish 514 – Bibliography – Graduate – EnglishEnglish 438 – Shakespeare’s Comedies and Histories – English – UndergraduateEnglish 425 – Literary Criticism -– English – UndergraduateEnglish 322 – Technical Writing – English – Undergraduate Grambling State University English 200 – World Literature – English – Undergraduate English 101 – Freshman Composition I – English – UndergraduateAdditional Applicable Course Work Mass Communication 355 – Feature Writing Mass Communication 335 – Online Writing and Design Mass Communication 299 – News writing and EditingAdditional Work Experience Staff Writer, 5/2005 – 5/2008.
- The News-Star, Monroe, LA
- Mass Communication 225 – Mass Media Writing and Editing
- Mass Communication 325 – Newspaper Practicum
- Mass Communication 310 – Specialized Reporting
- Mass Communication 455 – Editorial Writing
- English 102 (Honors) – Freshman Composition II – English – Undergraduate
- English 213 – Advanced Composition -- – English – Undergraduate
- English 406 – Nineteenth Century English Novel -- – English – Undergraduate
- English 426 – Multicultural Literature -- English – Undergraduate
- English 479 – American Literary Masters – English – Undergraduate
- English 515 – Grammar for Teachers -- Graduate – English
- English 526 – Compressed Video Seminar – Modern Drama – Graduate - English
- English 527 – American Prose – Graduate - English
- University of Louisiana at Monroe
- Trained a new full-time public safety reporter and another candidate for the position.
- Worked as a full-time public safety reporter and conducted investigative reporting.
- Created enterprise stories such as a domestic violence series in Oct. 2005.
- Regularly met daily or more frequent deadlines
- Developed written content for the newspaper’s website
- Attended a writing training workshop with journalists from other Gannett newspapers in March 2006.
- Efficiently located people to be sources in stories and conducted interviews.
- Gained teamwork and organizational skills by creating story ideas and working on daily news stories with an organized staff.
- Assisted with compiling necessary information about the public safety beat for the company’s new employees.
- Wrote a variety of stories for the company on public safety and community event topics including a localized story on student safety on college campuses.
The Gramblinite, Grambling, LA
Staff Writer, Aug. 2001- May 2005.
- Authored a variety of articles including campus event stories and profiles of campus and community leaders.
- Gained teamwork skills by working on stories and attending a national conference with an organized staff.
- Produced well-written articles while adhering to weekly deadlines.
The Daily World, Opelousas, LA
Intern, December 2004.
- Worked with a staff general assignment reporter while learning about public safety reporting.
- Independently worked on stories important to the local community such as the opening of a 24-hour day care center, and a story that reported an increase in alcohol related crashes statewide.
- Wrote several feature stories including a profile of a well-known community business owner and a book review.
KNOE-TV8 News, Monroe
Intern, May 2004- Sept. 2004.
- Produced well-written articles while adhering to the time restraints of a news broadcast.
- Assisted staff reporters with editing film for segments of news broadcasts.
- Developed interview questions and conducted interviews with staff reporters.
- Assisted with developing story ideas during daily newsroom meetings.
Skills: Proficiency with using Angel, Moodle, Blackboard, Edline and several other LMS software tools, departmental management, training session creation and implementation, public
speaking ability, Surpass software, CampusView, Microsoft Office, online instructional classroom management tool usage and training capabilities, ACT Editorial – print journalism, production software, excellent written and oral communication skills. Produced several
team and independently written real world documents.
Professional Affiliations: National Council for Teachers of English
Honors: Faculty of the Term (Westwood College) – January 2010
Selected to be inducted into the Alpha Beta Kappa Honor Society – February 2012