My philosophy of teaching embraces the importance of providing a learning environment that is active/interactive, relevant, engaging, and supportive. I see my role of teacher/professor as multifaceted (teacher/learner-facilitator-coach--model-encourager-critical/creative thinker-and more…). An engaging learning environment fosters students’ critical and creative thinking as well as their investment in the learning process. Providing opportunities for students to enhance their own strengths and to gain new ones assists them in experiencing success as well as the overall enjoyment of learning.

Dr. Diane Reese received her B.A. in English at the University of Florida and started her educational career teaching English at Leto High School in Tampa, Florida. She later completed her M.A. in Reading and a Ph.D. in Reading/Language Arts at the University of South Florida.

Dr. Reese teaches Reading Techniques I, Reading Techniques II, as well as Critical Reading and Thinking Skills on the St. Petersburg/Gibbs (SPG) Campus.

Dr. Reese’s instructional experiences have included teaching reading and English in middle and high school, teaching college reading strategies and study skills, serving as a reading specialist in a K-12 school, teaching graduate and/or undergraduate courses in reading/language arts at USF and SPC, and supervising pre-service teachers during their teaching internships.

Some of Dr. Reese’s past and/or current professional activities include serving as managing editor of the Florida Reading Quarterly (renamed Florida Reading Journal) ; serving as secretary, vice president-elect, vice president, and president of the Florida Reading Association (FRA); serving as Chair of the FRA Administrative Committee and the FRA Conference Committee; serving on the DOE's FOR-PD General Advisory Board; serving on two past Florida Teacher of the Year state selection committees; serving for two two-year terms on the Florida Developmental Education Association (FDEA) Board of Directors; serving on several writing teams for the state reading exit tests; serving as president of Beta Theta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma; ; serving on the Title III Activity Task Force; serving on SPC’s FGO, and Faculty Senate; serving on various SPC college-wide committees; serving on SPC’s Dimensions Committee for the First Year Experience Foundations of Excellence; serving on the QEC/QEC Committee; serving for ten years as Instructor-in-Charge of the SP/G Learning Support Commons (2001-2011); and serving as co-chair of the SPC cross-campus Learning Support Commons (LSC) & LSC-NIP standing committee (2003-2011.

Dr. Reese has given presentations at county, state, and national conferences and maintains her active memberships in several professional organizations that promote research in best teaching practices, learning strategies, critical and creative thinking, and effective reading/language arts instruction.

Dr. Reese loves teaching, learning, and helping students to travel successfully along their pathways toward reaching their current and long range goals.