Andie has taught undergraduate classes at University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University including: English 101 and 102 (First-Year Composition); English 105 (Critical Reading and Writing in the Academy); English 130 (Exploring Literature); English 209 (Introduction to Creative Writing Poetry); English 271 (Introduction to Creative Writing: Poetry); English 371 (Intermediate Poetry); English 471C/471 (Seminar in Creative Writing Poetry); English 270 (Introduction to Creative Writing: Fiction); English 470C (Seminar in Creative Writing Fiction); and English 479C (Editing and Publishing).

Andie has also taught English with the San Francisco Unified, Sacramento City, and Folsom Cordova Unified School Districts. Finally, Andie has served as a Candidate Work Sample Evaluator and University Supervisor in English education for the Teacher Education Program at Northern Arizona University.

Currently, Andie is a Lecturer in the English Department at Northern Arizona University. She is also the Northern Arizona Regional Partner for Poetry Out Loud. 

TEACHING WRITING WITH ARTS INTEGRATION

Artists’ Books:  A Collaboration with Librarian Amanda Meeks, funded by the LSTA “Thinking Through Making” grant for English 371 (Intermediate Poetry)

For this project, poetry students created an artists’ book, a format used to enhance written text, reinforce a concept through visual elements, or challenge notions of traditional book forms. Students turned one poem into a visual, interactive work of art. They considered the overall message or concept of the poem and created a book that reinforced their message or concepts. Students got an introduction to artists’ books and the variety of forms they take, followed by a workshop on how to create their own using a variety of techniques. Sample artists’ books and instructional books were made available through course reserve.

Ekphrastic Poetry: A Collaboration with the Museum of Northern Arizona, funded by the Museum of Northern Arizona for English 471C/471 (Seminar in Creative Writing Poetry)

For this project, poetry students wrote an ekphrastic poem, a poem used to narrate and reflect on the “action” of a painting, sculpture, or other work of art. Students chose a work of art from the Museum of Northern Arizona’s “Growing Our Own Artists” (spring 2019) and/or “Liberating Landscapes” (spring 2020) exhibits. They aimed to amplify and expand the meaning of the art for an audience (museum visitors) through their vivid description. They considered the overall message or concept of the art work and created a poem that reinforced that message or concept. Students got an introduction to ekphrasis and the variety of forms those poems take, followed by a workshop critique on their poem draft. Sample ekphrastic poems were made available through the BbLearn course page. 

Student poems were exhibited with the art work for the 2019 “Growing Our Own Artists” exhibit; a poetry reading, “Poetry on the Plateau,” was held at the Museum of Northern Arizona on April 7, 2019.  After the closure of the Museum due to  COVID-19 restrictions, student poems for the 2020 “Liberating Landscapes” exhibit were distributed to Museum patrons via a virtual chapbook, Literary Landscapes. Students’ audio recordings of the poems were featured on the MNA Facebook page and YouTube channel. Selected poems were also shared on Gillian Ferris’s KNAU radio show, “Poetry Friday,” on June 12, 2020.