Nicolas Blaisdell

Nicolas Blaisdell

Adjunct Professor

Nicolas Blaisdell began his career in education during his undergraduate years at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst when he founded the Peabody Volunteer Tutoring Organization (PVTO), a community-based educational program which annually provided free summer tutoring to hundreds of students. Upon the completion of his B.A. in English, Blaisdell went on to earn his master’s degree in education through UMass Amherst’s Teach 180 Days in Springfield pathway. Blaisdell currently teaches a series of humanities courses he designed while working in Revere Public Schools. With a special focus on social activist education via critical literacy, culturally-responsive pedagogy, and systemic functional linguistics, Blaisdell’s curriculum revolves around a dedication to serving the needs of all students. Outside of the classroom, Blaisdell has presented his work at numerous academic conferences, such as the Massachusetts Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages (MATSOL), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and the International Systemic Functional Congress (ISFC).

Website

Education

  • M.Ed. at UMass Amherst, 2019
  • B.A. in English at UMass Amherst, 2018

Courses

Education 503: Sheltered English Immersion

Publications

Blaisdell, N. (in preparation). “SFL, critical literacy, and combating hooding sweeps: Reflections on my practicum experience in an urban high school.” In Gebhard, M. & Accurso, K., Teacher action research across the curriculum: An SFL approach to supporting diverse learners’ disciplinary literacies in hard times. Book prospectus to Routledge.