Meet Harris
Professional history: After earning an M.A. in English Education from New York University in 1992, I enjoyed 25 years in the high school classrooms of New York City and Portland, Oregon, where I taught a wide range of English and History classes. Using the lens of race, class, and gender, as well as more traditional lenses when appropriate, my areas of particular interest include American Literature, the Western canon, Greco-Roman Literature, and African American Literature. I also designed and implemented the curriculum for courses titled Medical Terminology, Medical Non-fiction, and the History of Western Medicine. As student culture has evolved, so have I. I recognize the necessity for inclusivity and the influence of our multicultural modern world.
I left the classroom in 2019 and started private in-person tutoring in New York City. After the pandemic, I moved out of the city. Now I see 80% of my students via Zoom, which has proven remarkably effective for one-on-one or small-group tutoring.
In the mid-’90s, I served two years as the Head Teacher of the Kansai Region for the American Language School in Ise, Japan. Teaching students ranging in age from 5 to 80 was a pivotal and formative experience for me as a younger educator.
Personal bio: I was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., where I played ball in the schoolyards, delivered newspapers, and rooted for the Mets, Knicks, and Giants. Until recently, I was an avid year-round whitewater kayaker and summer rafting guide. I have paddled over 50 rivers in five countries. I am a musician and songwriter, often shadowed by my 8-year-old Border Collie and Flat-coated Retriever, Penny. Presently, I am writing an essay comparing and contrasting bicycling thestreets of Manhattan and whitewater kayaking.
