Education
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, New York, NY
Master of Arts in English Education, October 2018
Thesis: Honoring the Aesthetic Experience of Literature: How Secondary Students Describe Experiences of and Respond to Literary Texts
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, Provo, UT
B.A. English Teaching, April 2010
Office of Research and Creative Activities Research Grant Recipient, 2010.
A. John Clarke Fellowship, McKay School of Education, 2008-2010.
Teaching Experience
WEBER SCHOOL DISTRICT, Ogden, UT, 2018- present
– Advanced Placement Language & Composition, English 11, 12 & Credit Recovery English Teacher
– District Curriculum Development and Evaluation
– ELA Fellow
– Fremont High School Swim Coach
SALT LAKE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, Salt Lake City, UT, 2015-2018
– English 11 & 11 Honors, English 10 & 10 Honors Teacher
CANYONS SCHOOL DISTRICT, Salt Lake City, UT, 2010-2012
– English 7-9, Remedial Reading, Journalism Teacher
– School Leadership Team
– District Curriculum & Teaching Practices Leadership Team
– Secondary Literacy Leadership Team
Certifications
Google Certified Educator, 2019.
English as a Second Language Endorsement, 2010.
Professional Affiliations
National Council of Teachers of English, 2009-present.
Central Utah Writing Project, 2009-present.
American Education Research Association, 2020-present.
Publications
Sorensen, W. (2021). “Honoring the Experience of Literature: Secondary English Students Describe Experiences of and Respond to Literature.” AERA OPEN. [Forthcoming]
Sorensen, W. (2013). “The Effectiveness of Reading Strategies in a Secondary English Classroom.” Journal of Undergraduate Research. Brigham Young University.
Selected Presentations
Honoring the Experience of Literature: Secondary English Students Describe Experiences of and Respond to Literature. AERA SIG-Teacher as Researcher, 2021.
Evaluating the Use of Technology in Effective Instruction. BrainBlast Conference, Weber School District, 2019.
Teaching a Novel Unit: Richard Wright’s Native Son. Weber School District, 2019.
Poetry & Inquiry. Highland High School, Salt Lake City School District, 2018.
Teaching Argument Writing. Highland High School, Salt Lake City School District, 2017.
High Yielding Strategies for Secondary Literacy Practices. HYPE Conference, Canyons School District, 2012.
Structure of a Secondary Reading and Literature Classroom, Literacy Academy of Canyons School District, 2011.
Whitney Sorensen 