About
Michelle Boyd Waters, M.Ed.
I am a doctoral student in the Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum with a concentration in English Education program at the University of Oklahoma. My professional mission is to collaborate with English teachers around the world to amplify student voices via authentic writing processes with real audiences and encourage students to think critically, develop empathy, use their imaginations through diverse young adult literature in secondary level English Language Arts classrooms.
Education
My Studies
December 2021
M.Ed.
University of Oklahoma
Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum with a concentration in English Education
May 1996
B.A.
Oklahoma Baptist University
Journalism and Public Relations with a minor in Art.
Writing Consulting
August 2023-present
Writing Center Director
Del City High School Writing Center
Pilot new writing center in a local high school; established relationships with administration to facilitate setup and created processes to manage student consultant and writer face-to-face feedback sessions. Train student consultants in writing center pedagogies.
August 2022-present
Graduate Assistant Director (August 2023 - present)
Graduate Writing Fellow (Spring 2023)
Graduate Writing Consultant
Consult with graduate and undergraduate students in face-to-face, video conference, and written feedback sessions. Assist with writing assignments and professional documents including resumes, cover letters, and personal statements. Served on the hiring committee in 2023 and 2024. Develop and lead workshops and educational programming for departments and organizations including:
- Supporting Writing Instruction in High Schools: A Needs Assessment of Teachers and Future Educators study, 2024
- Haskell Indian Nations University Campus Visit at WC, April 2024
- Sooner Discovery “Telling Your Story” presentation, June 2023, April 2024
- Imposter Syndrome Practicum and workshop, April 2024
- Telling Your Research Story workshop, March 2024
- Saturday Graduate Writing Retreats, 2022-2024
- First Year Composition (FYC) Write Nights, 2022-2024
- Stasis Theory Matrix handout, 2024
- Camp Completion, three day workshop for graduate writers nearing the end of their dissertation, May 2023, 2024
- Writing Accountability Groups guide, wrote guide to assist graduate writers in creating writing accountability groups, 2023
- Revising and Editing Workshop, November 2023
- History Write Night, November 2023
- Indigenous Preview Day, spearheaded booth representation, distributing promotional materials, and engaging with potential university and community writers, October 2023
- Literature Review presentation, April 2023, September 2023
- "Gateway to Belonging" Write Night, September 2023
- Peer Advisors for Veteran Education (PAVE) orientation speaker, August 2023
- Camp Jumpstart, three day workshop for new graduate writers, August 2023
- Camp Crimson Involvement Fair, spearheaded booth representation, distributing promotional materials, and engaging with potential university and community writers, August 2023
- Academic Writing for Multilingual Students (graduate writing fellow), Spring 2023
- Video voice overs for "Parts of Speech: Adjectives and Adverbs" and "Parts of Speech: Prepositions" website resources, February 2023
- APA Format workshop, Fall 2022
August 2016-present
Teacher Consultant
Develop and lead workshops, educational programming, and summer institutes for schools and educators across the state of Oklahoma. Identified the need for improved project coordination across multiple locations and implemented a project management system (Trello), facilitating collaboration within the leadership team. Rebuilt and redesigned the organization's website using WordPress, improving functionality and user experience through a professional theme implementation. (Served as Graduate Research Assistant from January 2022 to June 2023).
- Invitational Summer Institute, contributed to the planning and organization of three three-week professional development workshop, including orientation and training for coaches, as part of the leadership team, 2023
- OWP Write to Win Contest, provided logistical support by preparing materials, ordering supplies, and promoting on social media, 2023
- Chisholm Trail Summit Anthology 2022, served as a leadership team member, contributing to the editorial process through editing and proofreading tasks, March 2023
- Spring Celebration of Writing for Students and Teachers, provided logistical support by preparing materials, ordering supplies, and promoting on social media, June 2023
- Six Traits Writing Workshop, provided logistical support by preparing materials, ordering supplies, and promoting on social media,November 2022
- Depth of Knowledge Workshop, presented at Mustang Public Schools, March 2022
- Writing Across the Curriculum, Tuttle Public Schools, provided logistical support by preparing materials and ordering supplies, 2022
- Impact 2022: Implementing the New ELA Oklahoma Standards, provided logistical support by preparing materials, ordering supplies, and promoting on social media, August 2022
- Engaging Humanities Through Art: OWP Summit 5-Day Teacher Institute at Chisholm Trail Heritage Center, provided logistical support by preparing materials, ordering supplies, promoting on social media, and drafting and distributing press releases to newspapers, June 2022
- 5th Grade Test Prep Workshop, provided logistical support by preparing materials, ordering supplies, and promoting on social media, February 2022
- Invitational Summer Institute, contributed to the planning and organization of three three-week professional development workshop, including orientation and training for coaches, as part of the leadership team, 2022
- "Including FAT in Your Essays: Figurative Language, Appositive Phrases, and Transitions," presented at Write to Learn Back To School Conference, August 2016
- Oklahoma Writing Project Invitational Summer Institute, developed writing workshop as a writing fellow during three-week professional development workshop, Summer 2016
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
Waters, M. B., & Unsicker-Durham, S. K. (2023, August 26). The hydra nature of book banning and censorship: A snapshot and two annotated bibliographies. Study & Scrutiny: Research on Young Adult Literature.
Waters, M. B. (2016). Roadblocks to Authentic Learning in Secondary English Language Arts and How to Overcome Them with the New Oklahoma Academic Standards. Oklahoma English Journal, 29(2), 30-34.
State Journal Editor
Co-editor, Oklahoma English Journal, 2020-present.
Conference Presentations
Planting the Seeds of Confidence: Nurturing Student Writers Through Imposter Syndrome. Secondary Schools Writing Centers Association & Boston Writing Project Conference. March 2024. Boston, MA. Accepted.
Navigating Uncharted Waters: Demystifying the High School Writing Center for Teachers and Administrators. South Central Writing Centers Association. March 2024. Fayetteville, AR.
Navigating the Shifting Landscape of Censorship: Insights from 50 Years of ALAN Review Articles. Summit on the Research and Teaching of Young Adult Literature. March 2024. Online.
Bridging Rural Landscapes and Student Voices: A Workshop on Place-Based and Writing Center Pedagogies. Workshop with Brianne Johnson. OU JRCoE KEY Conference. February 2024. Norman, OK.
Content Analysis of The ALAN REVIEW 1974-2023: Preliminary Findings. Breakout session with Dr. Crag Hill and Dr. Terri Suico. ALAN Workshop. November 2023. Columbus, OH.
Bridging the Gap with Writing Center Pedagogies: Empowering Student Writers in Secondary School Writing Centers. Poster session. National Council of Teachers of English. November 2023. Columbus, OH.
Synergy: Connecting through Literacy in Challenging Times. Panel presentation with Brianne Johnson, Kenzie Pratt, and Tracy Hunt. National Council of Teachers of English. November 2023. Columbus, OH.
Connecting Writers: Creating Opportunities for Student-Led Writing in and Beyond the ELA Classroom. Round Table session with Dr. Crag Hill, Julianna Lopez Kershen, Brianne Johnson, Kenzie Pratt, Jennevieve Scott, and Shelly Unsicker-Durham. National Council of Teachers of English. November 2023. Columbus, OH.
Bridging the Gap with Writing Center Pedagogies: Empowering Student Writers in Secondary School Writing Centers. National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing. November 2023. Pittsburg, PA.
Empowering Student Writers: The Collaborative Partnership Between High School English Teachers and Writing Centers. International Writing Center Association. Baltimore, MD. October 2023.
Collaborative Writing: Empowering Students to Revise and Provide Constructive Peer Feedback. GET FIT Professional Development. Norman Public Schools. October 2023.
Writing Support: Writing Center at OU for Grad Students and ADRC Services, JRCoE 2023 New Graduate Student Orientation, Invited speaker with Jakob Gowell, University of Oklahoma. Norman, OK. August 2023.
Hooking Readers and Writers with Poems, Excerpts, and First Chapters. Presentation with Shelly Unsicker-Durham. KEY Conference. University of Oklahoma. February 2023. Conference Cancelled.
Intentional Bridgework: Fusing Professional Teaching and Collegiate Writing Center Experiences into Piloting a Secondary School Writing Center. South Central Writing Center Association 2023 Conference. Lubbock, TX. March 2023.
Let Your Light Shine: Building Entrepreneurial Collaborations to Advocate, Share ELA Expertise. Individual presentation. NCTE Annual Convention. Anaheim, CA. November 2022.
Grappling with literature. Panel session with Dr. Crag Hill and Shelly Unsicker-Durham. NCTE Annual Convention, Anaheim CA, November 2022.
Changing the Narrative: Pre-Service Teachers to Professional Development. Panel presentation with Dr. Crag Hill, Danielle Nagel-O'Rourke, and Jennifer Williams. Critical Questions in Education Symposium. Academy for Educational Studies. Denver, CO. October 2022.
The Public Square: Challenges and dilemmas facing teachers: How teachers see themselves and their tasks -- and how they are perceived by others. Invited speaker with Christopher Clark, Kimberly Conyers, and Jared Stallones. Critical Questions in Education Symposium. Academy for Educational Studies. Denver, CO. October 2022.
Let Your Light Shine: Building Entrepreneurial Collaborations to Advocate, Share ELA Expertise. Individual presentation. Oklahoma Council of Teachers of English Fall Conference. Tulsa, OK. October 2022.
Changing the Narrative: Pre-service teachers to professional development. Presentation with Dr. Crag Hill, Jennifer Williams, and Danielle Nagel-O'Rourke. Critical Questions in Education Symposium. The Academy for Educational Studies. Denver, CO. October 2022.
MLA & APA Citations. Presentation with Dr. Ashton Foley-Schramm and Zahid Hossain. OU Writing Center. October 2022.
JRCoE 2022 new graduate student orientation. Doctoral student panel with Ann Schafer, Ja'Corie Maxwell, and Sarah Heiniger. University of Oklahoma. Norman, OK. August 2022.
Foregrounding students’ multilingual repertoires through language and culture portraits. Presentation with Dr. Madina Djuraeva, Audra Benn, Christine Chapman, Jennifer Fike, Sun Geun Kim, and Kexuan Wu. Keep Educating Yourself (KEY) Conference. University of Oklahoma. Norman, OK. March 2022.
Rigor/Depth of Knowledge Questioning. professional development presentation. Oklahoma Writing Project. Mustang Public Schools. March 2022.
Anthologies are Awesome! Panel moderator and organizer. 2021 ALAN Virtual Workshop. November 2021.
Doing the Work: Unlearning Racism through Narrative Writing and Sharing Our Stories. On demand virtual session with Shelly K. Unsicker-Durham. NCTE Annual Convention. November 2021.
Podcast Networking. OKC Podcasting Conference. 2019.
Digging up Injustices of the Roaring 20s: Dreamland Burning. Roundtable session with Dr. Crag Hill. NCTE ELATE Annual Convention. Houston, TX. November 2018.
reThink ELA: Teaching Grammar in Context. Presentation with Jennifer Williams. Oklahoma Council of Teachers of English Fall Conference. Norman, OK. October 2018.
Including FAT in Your Essays: Figurative Language, Appositive Phrases, and Transitions. Oklahoma Writing Project Symposium. Summer 2016.
Get to the HEART of Reading with Video and Music. Oklahoma Reading Association Annual Conference. April 2016.
Virtual PLCs. Oklahoma Gear Up Leadership Academy. Fall 2014.
Business Conferences and Presentations
AP 1217: I Have Two Brands and Directions. How Do I Balance and Promote Both? Guest Interview. Ask Pat 2.0 Podcast, April 2022.
Podcasting 1.0 for Educators. Invited Speaker. EdTech Class. University of Oklahoma. 2020.
Host, Product Sellers Talk Radio, 2007-2010
Invited Host, DivaTalkRadio.com, May 2010
Guest Speaker, WorkAtHomeSuccess.com, 2010
Invited Speaker, Moore Chamber of Commerce, July 2009
Guest Speaker, Create A Thriving Business, 2008
Guest Speaker, WAHM Talk Radio, 2006
Guest Speaker, HBWTalkRadio.com, 2006
Personal Writing
Waters. M. B. (2022). Facebook hack ‘worse than when my house burned down’ says teacher. Oklahoma City Free Press.
Waters, M.B. (2018). Weathered Crossroads. Mobius Magazine.
Waters. M. B. (2015). Waterfalls. Moments. 2015 OSU Writing Project Retreat anthology. Oklahoma State University Writing Retreat.
Interscholastic and Collegiate Editorial Positions
- Editor-in-Chief, managing, features, news, and assistant news editorial positions, The Bison, Oklahoma Baptist University, 1992-1996
- Editorial Editor, The Jag Wire, Westmoore High School, 1989-91
- Opinion Editor, West Words, Moore West Mid High, 1987
Service
- Conference Proposal Reviewer, NCTE Annual Convention, 2022-24
- Student Writing Contest Reviewer, National Writing Award: The Humanities and Freer Tomorrow, National Council of Teachers of English, 2023
- Grant Reviewer, IWCA Summer Research Grant, International Writing Center Association, 2023
- Submission Reviewer, Achievement Awards in Writing, National Council of Teachers of English, 2023
- Dean's Graduate Student Advisory Council, College of Education, University of Oklahoma, Spring 2023
- Panel Session Moderator, Respect: Featuring Anthologies by Saraciea J. Fennell, Cynthia Leitich Smith, & Laura Silverman, Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE, 2021
- Executive board member, Oklahoma Council of Teachers of English, 2020-present
Experience
Educational Consulting/Curriculum Development
June 2012-present
Owner and Founder
Building a community with English teachers from around the world to raise awareness of and develop responses to literacy and pedagogical issues in the English Language Arts classroom. Collaborating with teachers and former students to design curriculum geared to assist students in discovering their reader and writer identities. Creating online professional development opportunities to assist teachers in developing their own curriculum to amplify their students’ voices and increase their awareness of and empathy for others’ voices.
Teaching
January 2024-present
Clinical Practice Supervisor
Oklahoma State University
Observed pre-service teacher candidates during their field experiences, meeting with candidates and their mentor teachers regularly, and provided written feedback and recommendations after each observation.
July 2015-June 2021
8-11th English Teacher
Wayne Public Schools, Oklahoma
Taught 8th grade English, Introduction to English (9th grade), World Literature (10th grade), and American Literature (11th grade). Partnered with students to design a curriculum centered on their interests and data to nurture their reading and writing identities through independent text-based and multimedia literacy projects. Created interactive and collaborative group and project-based lessons. Integrated technology to assist students in creating a reading and writing community within the school and beyond our classroom.
August 2014-May 2015
ELA/Literature/Mixed Media Teacher
Little Axe Public Schools, Oklahoma
Taught 6th grade Language Arts, 7th grade Literature, and Mixed Media Journalism. Developed reading and writing units to teach students real-world communication skills and improve OCCT writing test scores. Produced PowerPoint slideshows and videos as part of the Little Axe Middle School Gear Up presentation. Created curriculum for Mixed Media Journalism class incorporating video script and student newspaper writing and production. Updated middle school website and sponsored National Junior Honor Society.
August 2012-May 2014
Language Arts Teacher and Yearbook Advisor
Del Crest Middle Schools, Oklahoma
Taught multiple levels of Language Arts classes and advised the middle school yearbook. Developed debate and writing lesson plans for class and after-school club. Developed and modified group and project-based lessons to assist students in interacting with content in creative and authentic ways. Designed units to assist students in developing "Quadruple Threat" skills, including organization, note-taking, time management, and perseverance. Collaborated with special education teachers in co-taught classes to assist students with IEPs. Identified individual student needs and liaised with student counselors and special education staff to solve problems in learning, attitude and management of student workloads. Served on School Improvement Plan Committee and co-sponsoring student Drama Club. Met with Oklahoma State Department of Education and Federal Title I monitors, school Title I coordinator and building administration to answer questions and provide tours of my classroom during Title I review.
August 2011 - May 2012
Sophomore English Teacher/Middle School Yearbook Advisor
Bethel Public Schools, Oklahoma
Taught sophomore English classes, mythology, and poetry. Developed writing lesson plans to assist students in improving their ability to write formal essays. Prepared students for End of Instruction English II exam. Developed and taught lessons plans on topics including vocabulary, grammar, literature analysis, and reading. Taught elements of literature including plot, character development, theme, and setting/mood via short stories from different cultures and novels from the traditional canon including Lord of the Flies and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Developed curriculum for an Independent Reading Challenge program, based on work by Donalyn Miller, designed to encourage students to increase their reading by as much as 700 percent. Identified individual student needs and liaised with student counselors and special education staff to solve problems in learning, attitude, and management of student workloads. Edited middle school section of the secondary school yearbook.
Research
January 2022-present
Graduate Research Assistant
English Education, University of Oklahoma
Assisting Dr. Crag Hill in conducting primary source research and examining themes in publication history of a single journal.
Business and Journalism
October 2021-present
Business Coach
Creating a community of English teacher, former students, and other entrepreneurs to support one another in building profitable online and local businesses. Developed informational products, online courses and coaching programs to support entrepreneurs in starting, growing, and scaling an online business. Partnered with other business coaches, content creators, and affiliate partners to deliver needed learning resources to my community. Wrote content hosted podcast to educate my community in techniques for ethical and sustainable business growth.
February 2002-August 2011
Owner and Founder
Watersweb Solutions LLC
Founded a web design and hosting company serving the work at home mom community. Build websites for moms selling ecommerce products such as baby slings and cloth diapers. Created and sold internet marketing information products. Hosted Product Sellers Talk Radio. Created affiliate program to partner with web designers in my niche. Provided customer support through outsourced company. Worked with virtual assistants to create content and provide additional layer of support. Hosted virtual summit for product sellers.
February 1993-November 1999
Reporter and Editor
Shawnee News-Star, Oklahoma
Lincoln County News, Oklahoma
Award-winning storyteller passionate about writing news and features and thrived in a deadline intensive environment. Covered courts and law enforcement beat in the City of Shawnee and Pottawatomie County. Designed layouts for various sections featuring AP Wire articles. Wrote articles for and edited Lincoln County section. Interviewed sources for feature and hard news articles in tri-county area. Designed newspaper layouts using QuarkXPress and edited photographs using Adobe Photoshop on MacIntosh computers.
Awards and Recognition
- Recipient, 2023-24 NCPTW Travel Award
- Recipient, 2023-2024 Secondary Schools Writing Center Association Presenter at Another Conference Grant
- Recipient, South Central Writing Center Association Conference Tutor Scholarship, 2023
- Recipient, JRCOE Research and Travel Committee Scholarship for NCTE Convention, 2022
- Recipient, Katherine Elizabeth Lasseter Scholarship, 2022
- The Masonic Fraternity of Oklahoma Purcell Lodge 27 Teacher of Today, Wayne High School, 2017
- Certificate of Achievement in Writing: Teacher Personal Narrative, Oklahoma Writing Project, 2017
- Certificate of Achievement in Writing: Teacher of 3 Winning Writers, Oklahoma Writing Project, 2017
- Fellow, Summer Institute, Oklahoma Writing Project, 2016
- Finalist, Best Ed Tech Resource Sharing Blog, EduBlog Awards, 2015
- Nominated for Teacher of the Year, Del Crest Middle School, 2014
- First Place, Spot News category, Carl Rogan Associated Press contest, 1999
- Second Place, Spot News category, Carl Rogan Associated Press contest, 1999
- First Place in General Excellence, Oklahoma Collegiate Press Association, 1996
- Third Place, Investigative Reporting Division, OCPA, 1996
- First Place in General Excellence for private, four-year universities, OCPA, 1995
- First Place in General Excellence for private, four-year universities, OCPA, 1994
- Recipient, M. Ector Reynolds Journalism Award, 1994
- Recipient, Thelma Carter Scholarship, 1994
- Second Place, Opinion Writing, High School Writing Contest, Rose State College, 1991