My academic focus in life revolves around writing. For over 15 years, I have been devoted to a career in teaching English and creating a generation of writers that seek to understand and be understood. I also work as a strong advocate in unions in order to protect public education.My career was revitalized when I became a National Writing Project teacher consultant after attending the Summer Institute in 2010 for the Red Cedar Writing Project here in East Lansing. In fact, I owe the RCWP quite a bit. Not only has it reinvigorated me as a teacher, it has reignited my excitement as a writer. I still currently work with the RCWP on a number of projects including a strategic planning team, co-director of the Greenrock Writers Retreat, Digital Is website resource contributor, and professional development provider. I am also the co-author of the upcoming book Real Writing: Beyond the Old School Essaybased on a series of presentations at the National Council of Teachers of English annual conference in Washington, D.C. (2014), Minneapolis (2015), and hopefully Atlanta (2016).On the side, I enjoy music. I play acoustically in a duo called The Swift Brothers. Look for us at a Michigan festival near you.I love writing. I love singing. I love my family. I love being involved in my community. Long story short, I am a husband, a father, a homeowner, a union leader, a pet owner, a singer, a writer, a teacher, and exhausted.