Claudia earned her doctorate in Human Development and Psychology with a specialization in language and literacy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2002. There her work focused on the psychosocial aspects of literacy, specifically how children expressed their points of view, and indicated emotional highpoints in their writing, and what relationships could be found with their status as children “at-risk” for academic failure or success. During her tenure as a doctoral student Claudia taught graduate students at Harvard and at Lesley University. After graduation, she continued teaching at Lesley for two years. At Lesley, she offered courses on The Teaching of Writing K – 12, Literature for Children and Young Adults, and Advanced Children’s Literature. Concurrently, she offered courses at Middlebury in the Winter Term on various aspects of children’s literature. Presently, Claudia offers courses in the Teacher Education program and in the English department, on issues of literacy and children’s and young adult literature—both the writing and reading of it. She also supervises both elementary and secondary student teachers in their school placements, and has been co-teaching the student teacher seminar with Gregg and Jonathan. Outside her Middlebury work, Claudia has been active in public school classrooms for the last fourteen years, as a parent, as a researcher and consultant, as a volunteer, and as a supervisor. She has frequently participated in writing workshops helping students with drafting, revising and editing. For the last two years, Claudia has been a reading mentor at Mary Hogan Elementary School in the Everybody Wins! reading program. This year, Claudia was also a faculty member at the New England Young Writer’s Conference at Breadloaf. She is passionate about literacy and literature will happily sit for hours over coffee talking about books.
Claudia lives in Middlebury with her husband Robert Cohen, a novelist and fellow professor. Her son, Nick, is heading off to Colorado College this fall, her son, Eli, will be in 8th grade at Middlebury Union Middle School, and she and her family are adopting a daughter, Meskerem, ten years old, from Ethiopia. When not teaching, writing, or mothering, Claudia loves travel, cooking, gardening, and crafts.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
TEACHING/SUPERVISION
Courses Taught
Children’s Literature
Literature for Young Adults
Reading and Writing Literature for Children and Young Adults
Taboos and Trends in Literature for Children and Young Adults
Writing for Children and Young Adults
Teaching of Writing K – 12
Literature for Children and Young Adults
Advanced Studies in Children’s Literature
Teaching Elementary Literacy and Social Studies
Courses Taught as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard
Problems of Children and Adolescents: A Developmental Perspective on Risk and Resiliency
Child Language II: (Later Language Development and Early Literacy)
Child Language II: The Development of Literacy
Learning as an Interactive Process in Childhood and Adolescence
Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
Visiting Assistant Professor in Teacher Education
2003-2004
Responsibilities include teaching classes in Children’s Literature, Writing for Children, and a course on Literacy and Social Studies, and supervision of student teachers in practicum placements in elementary, middle, and secondary (English) schools. The supervisory practice also involves participation in a weekly seminar on teaching practices, and digital construction of portfolios for state licensure, including use of technology such as web logs and Segue for building course related educational web sites and links.
Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
New England Young Writer’s Conference
2004
Guest faculty for Write-On session.
Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
Faculty
2003-2004
Teaching courses in Children’s Literature and the Teaching of Writing in Weekend Intensive format. See below for further information on courses.
Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
Faculty Mentor
2002-2003
Faculty mentor for Teaching of Writing, K – 12. Responsible for screening prospective faculty, observing and mentoring new faculty, and providing technical and practical support for on-going faculty. Also responsible for arranging seminars and other opportunities for dialogue for faculty around issues and concerns specific to the teaching of this course.
Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
National Faculty
2001-2003
Full time teaching in Curriculum and Instruction, Specialization in Literacy: Writing, Reading and Language. I have developed and teach three separate courses: Teaching of Writing K - 12, Literature for Children and Young Adults, and Advanced Studies in Children’s Literature. Teaching of Writing involves intensive exploration of the personal practice of writing, and theoretical and practical applications of the writing process model in the classroom. Literature for Children and Young Adults broadly surveys the range of children’s literature with a focus on critical reading and classroom usage. Advanced Studies in Children’s Literature gives a more in-depth investigation of the literature for children utilizing thematic approaches and critical analysis.
Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
Faculty in Teacher Education
2002-2003
Supervision of student teachers in practicum placements in both elementary and secondary (English) schools. This position also involves participation in a weekly supervisory seminar on teaching practices. In addition, I am a guest lecturer in a required Teacher Education course, Literacy and Social Studies.
Lesley University, Off-Campus sites
Adjunct Professor
2000-2001
See above description of course work for Lesley
Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
Lecturer
January, 1999-2003
Teaching undergraduates in an intensive, large seminar courses. Courses have included Children’s Literature, Literature for Young Adults, and Reading and Writing Children’s Literature. Particular attention is given to child and adolescent development and concerns, societal and authorial views of children and young adults, and critical analysis of literature for young people.
Harvard University
Head Teaching Fellow
September, 1995 - May, 1997
Taught graduate and undergraduate students in sections. Graded papers and tutored students in graduate level psychology course. Also responsible for preparation of lecture and section material. Coordinated class logistics for 150 member class, organized teaching fellow meetings, and supervised 8 teaching fellows.
For Dr. Gil G. Noam
Course: Problems of Children and Adolescents: A Developmental Perspective on Risk and Resiliency
Harvard University
Teaching Fellow
September, 1993 - May, 1995
Taught graduate and undergraduate students in sections. Graded papers and tutored students in research methodologies, theories and practice of literacy and learning, and developmental psychopathology.
For Dr. Gil G. Noam
Course: Problems of Children and Adolescents: A Developmental Perspective on Risk and Resiliency
For Dr. Barbara Pan
Course: Child Language II
For Dr. Colette Daiute
Course: Child Language II: The Development of Literacy
For Dr. Colette Daiute
Course: Learning as an Interactive Process in Childhood and Adolescence
Harvard University Vanguard Project on Inclusionary Education January, 1995 - June, 1995
Site Coordinator for Inclusion Project, Irving Middle School, Boston, MA
Responsible for coordination between school personnel and Harvard University Vanguard representatives. Organized program logistics, direction, and placements. Supervised 8 interns in after-school program with rotating middle school population. Taught middle school students in the program.
M.E. Fitzgerald School
Boston University
October, 1991 - June, 1992
Student Teaching Practicum, General classroom education, second grade
Rice Tutors, Rice University, Houston, TX 1989 - 1990
Individual Tutoring
V.O.I.C.E. Adult Literacy Program, Houston, TX 1988 - 1989
Group Coordinator: Liason between 15 tutors and central office (volunteer)
RESEARCH/CONSULTING
Harvard RALLY Program, Harvard University
Literacy Consultant
2002 – 2003
RALLY (Responsive Advocacy for Life and Learning in Youth) provides children with access to mental health and educational services in school and afterschool program settings in the Boston Public Schools. Developed curriculum for use by prevention practitioners and teachers that bridges academic enrichment and mental health issues.
Projects in Language Development, Harvard University,
Research Assistant
September, 1994 - 2001
Home School Study of Language and Literacy Development.
Responsible for development of coding and quantitative and qualitative data analysis of home and school writing tasks in a 10 year longitudinal study, additional task development, writing and presentation of results of the data.
Research in Writing Development, Harvard University,
Research Assistant
December, 1992 - August, 1994
Written Narrative Study in conjunction with The University of Minnesota
Coding and data analysis of teacher/peer collaborative writing tasks, co-authored presentation of results.
Projects in Language Development, Harvard University
Research Assistant
June, 1992 - March, 1993
Manpower Development Research Corporation Study
Transcription and coding
GRANTS/AWARDS
Real World Arts Fund, Middlebury College, January 2003
Dissertation Support Fund Grant, Harvard University, February 2001
Teaching and Curriculum Quality Improvement Grant, Harvard University June, 1996 - August, 1997
PUBLICATIONS
Cooper, C. (2002). Who are these writers? An exploration of the connections between expressiveness in children’s writing and their psychosocial profiles.Doctoral Dissertation. Harvard University
Cooper, C. (1996). But it was only a dream: A study of evaluation in young children's writing. Qualifying Paper. Harvard University
Daiute, C., Campbell, C. & Cooper, C. (1994, April) Written narrative as a mode of meaning and learning. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA
EDITORIAL AND RELATED
Burlington Free Press, Burlington, VT
Reviewer, Children’s Literature
Journal of Narrative and Life History September, 1994 - August, 1997
Editorial Board Member
Noam, Gil G. (in prep). Biography and Transformation
Editorial assistant to Dr. Noam
Editing, assisting with draft development, compilation and development of case study material for a book on clinical developmental psychology and psychopathology
G. Noam & K. Fischer (Eds.)(1996). Development and Vulnerability in Close Relationships Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Editorial assistant to Dr. Noam and Dr. Fischer
Development of subject index, editing
"Other Voices" 1990 - 1991
Co-Founding Editor
First feminist newspaper at Rice University; explored gender and minority issues
VOLUNTEER AND COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE
Everybody Wins, National Literacy Program
Middlebury, VT
Reading Mentor in the public schools
2002 – 2004
Mary Hogan Elementary School, Middlebury, VT
Volunteer weekly in classroom writing workshops
1997 – 2000
Havurah, Middlebury, VT
Co-Chair Education Committee 2000-2001
Education Committee 1999 - 2000
Harvard University, Graduate School of Education
Admissions Committee
Doctoral Admissions, 1996 - 1997
Master's Admissions, 1994 - 1996
Harvard University, Graduate School of Education
Doctoral Student Mentoring Program
Co-director and mentor 1993-1994
M.E. Fitzgerald School, Cambridge, MA
Volunteer in classroom
1991-1994
MEMBERSHIPS
National Council of Teachers of English
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
ADDITIONAL
Co-Owner 1978 - 1986
Small business in the service industry
References Available upon request