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My teaching career began in China in 1987. Three years later, at the American Academy in Istanbul, Turkey, I adopted my life’s motto: “I want to dance with the whole world!” Include everyone, exclude no one. I have been devoted to my partner in life for over 30 years, the last 20 of those in our little home on the river bend near downtown Tulsa.
My passion for teaching is deeply connected to helping students become better global citizens, equipped with the essential critical thinking tools needed to imagine and pursue their future with greater confidence.
Email: jdonaldson@tsas.org
Room: 112 B
Educational Background:
- Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Oral Roberts University
I am originally from Ohio, but have called Tulsa, Oklahoma my home for over a decade now. My husband and I live in Midtown Tulsa in a house that we are constantly improving upon with our three cats: Lizzie Borden, Buffy, and Sookie. I love reading, watching movies (especially 90s thrillers), going to concerts, petting my cats, doing puzzles, eating local cuisine, art hopping at museums, and in general experiencing as much joy and beauty as I can before the earth reclaims my body.
I believe in a world that celebrates the human in all its glorious flaws, and teaching literature and writing allows for the opportunity to better understand and empathize with the nuances of life. It is important now more than ever for students to see the value in original thought, in empathy, and in communication with others in a constructive and productive way. I want to promote creativity in the individual and preserve artistic endeavors as truly human experiences as it is these experiences that connect us with others and are what we stay alive for.
Email: jedwards@tsas.org
Room: 113 A
Educational Background:
- Ph.D. in English, Oklahoma State University
- M.A. in English, Ohio University
- B.A. in English, Ohio University
Hailing originally from the DC Metropolitan area, I moved to Oklahoma in 2011 to attend graduate school and never left. So I guess this is home now? I’m an enthusiast of vinyl (listening to and collecting), hockey (watching and playing), books (“Obnoxiously well read,” per a source), movies, baking, chess, and playing the guitar and harmonica, just to name a few. (Some people say I collect hobbies.) I am also a big fan of dogs, especially my two dummies: Scout and Mabel.
I am a teacher of English because I believe in the mission of the humanities. The humanities, as I understand them, seeks to explore human experience and to appreciate and interrogate human accomplishments and failures so we may better understand our contemporary moment. More importantly, the humanities are forward-looking: it looks to where we are going, not just where we have been and where we are. In my English classes, I hope to foster dialogue and the necessary communicative skills through an engagement with literature and writing of all kinds so that my students can ultimately learn from the past and experiences of others to create a better and more equitable future for themselves and others.
Email: dhawkins@tsas.org
Room: 124
Educational Background:
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- PhD in English, Oklahoma State University
- M.A. in English, Oklahoma State University May 2014
- B.S. in Mass Communication, Shepherd University
I love learning and hope I never stop. I enjoy learning alongside my students. And I especially enjoy seeing students grow both as writers and in their appreciation of the power of writing for their lives.
I’m raising three kids with my best friend in Broken Arrow and I love living here. I’ve recently started doing yoga. One of my favorite hobbies is competitive kettlebell lifting. Kurt Vonnegut changed my life.
Email: srustin@tsas.org
Room: 115
Educational Background:
- Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies, Evangel University
- Master of Arts in Biblical Exegesis, Wheaton College