Welcome to my web site!!

Office: 1412-01 [1400 building]
               Office Hours         Reading Lab Hours

Email: agarcia@fullcoll.edu
Phone: (714) 992-7350

     Welcome to fall 2009!  Feel free to contact me anytime!

     First of all, I would like to welcome you to Fullerton College.  One reason teaching at Fullerton College is so fulfilling is that it is my college in my community, as Fullerton has been my home for twenty-years.  Teaching Reading for Fullerton College has been an enormous pleasure.  I cannot think of another college in which the staff is so compassionate about teaching and learning. It was in high school that I had an inspiring teacher who inspired me to become involved in education.  The result of this instructor has been my commitment to education since 1986.      

    When I left high school I found that education was a struggle during that first year at CSU, Fullerton (I do under-stand my adult students face), but ultimately resulted in a B. A. in Liberal Studies from California State University, Fullerton.  Soon after I had began a career in education I realized that teaching reading was the area that I wanted to focus on.  It was my original experiences in the educational environment , and my being voted Teacher of the Year by my colleagues that I decided to continue my education and concentrate on becoming a college instructor.  I received my M. S. in Education with a Concentration in Reading at California State University, Fullerton. 

    The field of education is the most rewarding and fulfilling career I can think of.    Teaching reading at Fullerton College allows me to bring in to focus the specific, invisible, and sometimes unrelated skills of reading while focusing on comprehension and active reading strategies that all readers use.  Read 56, Developmental Reading, is a skills based course focusing on comprehension of reading, vocabulary, and active reading strategies in order to build a solid foundation for greater success in college courses.  The other course I teach, Read 142: Logical Analysis and Evaluation, features a comprehensive focus on critical thinking skills using controversial issues that surround our everyday lives.   The use of controversial issues is used to explore how even the brightest of students can be manipulated through the use of language and visual media.  The use of newspaper editorials, the course textbook, and various articles, and visual media encourage active and involved classroom discussions. 

     Understanding my adult students is the focus of my academic interests.  I am a member of CSUF’s Reading Educators Guild, College Reading and Learning, and many other professional organizations devoted to the adult reader. I enjoy painting, visiting art museums, and listening to contemporary music.   Topping the list of my affections are my husband, my son and my daughter all of whom keep me grounded in living for the moment.

     Welcome to my class and I look forward to getting to know each of you better.  Please feel free to look at your specific class link to find the books required for each class. Also, please note my office phone number, e-mail address, and office hours as posted above for your convenience. I am more than happy to address any questions or concerns during the semester. That said, I look forward to working together with each of you to ensure your academic success during the fall, 2009 semester at Fullerton College.

Amy Garcia