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Teaching. Mary has taught at every level but in the last ten years
has worked as a literacy coach in Ulster County's public schools.
As an Associate of the Institute for Writing and Thinking since 1988, she has taught incoming freshmen in the Language and Thinking program and has led on-site workshops for teachers throughout New York State and at Bard College. In addition, from 2002 until 2009, she taught English 101 at Trinity College in Hartford, Ct. “As a literacy coach, I have learned immensely from working with Mary Leonard both in the classroom with students and in workshops and seminars for teachers. A published writer with years of experience in the high school classroom, Mary makes writing authentic and rigorous as well as creative and playful. She is equally adept with writing in the content areas as well as in English Language Arts classrooms” Kathy Simpson, Literacy Specialist, Ulster County BOCES “Mary is extremely responsive and flexible and she brought a warm and generous approach to the work. Her writing was a joy to hear and helped me to see what kind of final product comes from approaching writing this way. She made everyone in the class feel welcome and always knew when to remind us to trust the process.” Erica Jablon, The Hackley School, Tarrytown, NY-Summer participant in Writing & Thinking, Bard College 2011 “Mary Leonard is a wonderful teacher--we had faith in where she was leading us. She established herself as a trustworthy, compassionate and willing teacher who was also humorous and willing to reveal her process.” Lisa Melanson, Cape Elizabeth Schools, Maine-Summer participant in Writing & Thinking, Bard College 2011 “Mary is an excellent, curious, and kind workshop leader. She clearly loves to teach.” Teacher, grades 10-12, participant @Bard Institute for Writing & Thinking's Writer as Reader Workshop, 11'11 “I have been deeply enriched by Mary's teaching--she knows how to lead writers into our own best stories, our own best writing. Mary's perceptiveness and intelligence have startled me with their clarity and depth, and at the same time she has a very charming sense of humor. Her empathy for her students is deep; no matter where they are, she helps them move toward their own best thinking, writing, and being.” Irene Papoulis-Senior Lecturer, Trinity College |