"I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center." -- Kurt Vonnegut

If there was a phrase to best describe my teaching style, this would be it.  I can't say that I do any crazy lessons, jump on the podium, or do circus tricks to prove a point.  To me, staying "close to edge" means challenging all the perceptions, beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes you have grown so comfortable with.  That's what good writers do when they write, anyway. You wont learn life lessons... or maybe you will, I don't know.  But that's not what I am going for.  My goal is to help you become independent thinkers.  It is also to teach you how to read and write better, of course. Ultimately, learning is about expanding your mind (no, not the Jim Morrison way).  Through my twelve years of teaching, I have found that in general, kids resist thinking outside of their comfort zone.   In the end, however, the fire is lit, and their thirst for more illuminates their path to college and beyond.