Master of Arts
English
Arizona State University
Bachelor of Arts
English
Pomona College
Margaret Boas knows that grades can cause students a lot of anxiety. That’s why she takes a different approach to student work. She provides students with lots of comments, feedback and suggestions on everything they write, but she won’t grade it. She prefers that students focus on figuring out how to say what they want to say as effectively as possible without worrying about how they’ll be graded.
If that sounds like an approach that suits you, you’ll find Boas teaching Academic Writing and Research 1 (ENG-101), Intro to Shakespeare (ENG-221) and World Literature 1 and 2 (ENG-211 and 212). She also sometimes teaches Literature by Women (ENG-228) and American Literature from 1945-Present (ENG-217).
Boas started at AACC in 2000 after moving to Maryland from Charlottesville, Va., where she taught English literature and composition for three years. She serves as adjunct coordinator for the Department of English and faculty advisor for the Burned Book Society. She finds AACC students to be a source of inspiration.
“My students always impress me with their curiosity and willingness to try difficult new things if given the chance,” she said.
Boas lives with her partners and her cat Pixel (pictured above). In her spare time, Boas enjoys tai chi, sewing and photography.
“Tai chi is the perfect combination of meditation, body awareness and exercise. Whenever I'm stressed out, I stop and do some empty hand tai chi forms. When I want to sharpen my mental focus, I do tai chi with a straight sword. And when I'm looking to get some physical conditioning, I break out my long staff and do tai chi with that,” she said.
“Sewing (especially costuming) and photography both appeal to me because they require both precision and creativity. Learning ‘the rules’ is just the beginning of creating a gorgeous outfit or a beautiful photograph.”
