LEAF AND PEN
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Resumé
Eve Becker
​

Educator specializing in reading and writing, with experience teaching both children and adults; expertise in adolescent education and the development of differentiated, anti-bias, culturally sustaining curricula. Pushcart Prize-winning personal essay writer, best-selling author of young adult novels. Founder of Leaf and Pen, an organization for teacher-writers. Exceptional writing, editing, technology and communication skills. Creative, strategic thinker, with organized follow-through.

Professional Experience

Educator

Leaf and Pen, New York, NY
2014-present
Founder and Director
  • For educators: Designs and delivers workshops, professional development and multiday writing retreats
  • For students: Provides college essay coaching and writing workshops.

Pace University, New York, NY
Fall, 2021-Spring, 2025
Adjunct Full Professor
  • Taught in the Rhetoric and Composition and the Creative Writing programs of Pace’s Dyson College of Arts and Sciences. Courses taught included: Critical Writing; Advanced Fiction Writing; Creative Nonfiction Writing.

Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY
2020-present
Student Teacher Supervisor
  • Supports student teachers in the MA program in English Education.
​
The School at Columbia University, New York, NY
2006-2019
  • Teacher: Taught 6th, 7th and 8th grade English, Humanities and Advisory.
  • Teacher Educator: Provided professional development for educators at the Teach21 Institute;
  • mentored early-career associate English teachers; created and led faculty writing group.
  • Leadership: Chaired Faculty Reading Committee; co-chaired Faculty Writing Committee; served
  • as grade-level coordinator; chaired and sat on numerous hiring committees.
  • Curriculum Design and Development: Co-wrote K-8 literacy scope and sequence; developed anti-bias, interdisciplinary curricula for middle school; created and directed annual multi-day 8th grade writing retreat; created 7th and 8th grade independent reading programs and blended learning book group programs; co-created multi-disciplinary 8th grade social action project.

The Computer School (M.S. 245), New York, NY
2001-2006
  • Teacher: Taught combined 6/7th grade English Language Arts; 8th grade Humanities; 8th grade Creative Writing; 6th-8th grade Computers; partnered with teaching artists from the Lincoln Center Institute.
  • ​Teacher Educator: Mentored student teachers.
  • Leadership: Served on admissions team, helping to select incoming students.

Teachers and Writers Collaborative, New York, NY
1989-1993
  • Teacher/Writer-in-Residence: Taught writing workshops in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens K- 12 public schools.
  • Teacher Educator: Provided professional development in writing pedagogy to teachers in residency schools.

Writer
  • For adults: Writer of fiction and essays. Published in Pushcart Prize XXXVI; The Huffington Post; The Gettysburg Review; Chalkbeat; The West Side Spirit; Our Town. Awarded 2012 Pushcart Prize for personal essay, “Final Concert.”
  • For young readers: Author of 30 published novels, including the first young adult novel on the New York Times paperback best-seller list.
  • Blogger: Posts on books, arts and letters, travel, education, equity and other subjects.
  • Complete list of published works, clips and links available upon request.

Editor

zoggle.com, New York, NY
1999-2000
Vice President, Content/Editorial Director
  • Conceptualized and launched major website for 13-18-year-olds.
  • Hired, trained and managed 15-person editorial staff and freelancers.
  • Developed and oversaw online community, including teen member-reporter program, message
  • boards and chat.
  • Worked with design and technical teams to create front- and back-ends of site and oversaw user
  • testing.
  • Identified opportunities for strategic alliances, promotions and contests.

Her Online and Her Interactive, New York, NY and Albuquerque, NM
1995-1996
Editor-in-Chief
  • Built the first commercial website for girls; conceptualized content and architecture; created and coded content.
  • Hired and oversaw staff and freelance team.

Freelance writer/editor/producer
1984-1995 and 1997-1999
  • Author of 30 young adult novels.
  • Created, developed, produced, packaged and edited fiction series for numerous major publishers
  • Created, produced, wrote and edited Web-based entertainment; provided content strategy,
  • development and implementation.
​
Cloverdale Press, New York, N.Y.
1981-1984
Editor, Books for Young Readers
  • Developed fiction series, worked with authors, edited manuscripts, negotiated authors' contracts, wrote cover copy, supervised cover production, oversaw in-house and freelance staff.
  • Launched the best-selling Sweet Valley High series.

Writers House Literary Agency, New York, NY
1980-1981
Scout and Foreign Rights Assistant
  • Generated weekly scouting report for foreign publishers, researched rights and marketing information.
  • Evaluated manuscripts and proposals.

​Education
Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY
Ed.M. English and the Teaching of English 2020

Cambridge College, Cambridge, MA
M.S.Ed. Integrated Studies 2003

Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
B.A. Comparative Literature 1980

Additional Experience and Skills

New York State English Council (NYSEC)
Executive Board Member

2023-2025

Conference and Workshop Presenter
  • NYSEC Annual Conference
  • National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
  • The Center for the Professional Education of Teachers (CPET) at Columbia University New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS)
  • Teach21
  • Institutes on Academic Diversity, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia

Conferences and Professional Development Attended (partial list)
  • Reimagining Education Summer Institute at Teachers College: Teaching, Learning and Leading for a Racially Just Society
  • Teaching Tolerance (now Learning for Justice) Center for Racial Justice in Education
  • Narrative 4 Empathy Story Exchange Training
  • Association of Writers and Writing Programs Annual Convention
  • NAIS People of Color Conference
  • National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention
  • Facing History and Ourselves
  • Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts summer session with Maxine Greene

​Educational Technology
Google Glass Explorer

Chosen by Google as early adopter and experimenter for its wearable technology. Explored and blogged about educational uses for the device.

Organization Memberships
National Council of Teachers of English; Association of Writers and Writing Programs; International Literacy Association

Languages: English, Spanish, French
No pen, no ink, no time, no quiet, no inclination."
                                                         --James Joyce
  • Home
  • About
  • What We Do
    • Writing Retreats for Educators
    • Writing Retreats for Students
    • NYC Workshops and PD
    • Radical Educators
    • Essay Coaching
  • Who We Are
  • Contact
  • Blog