TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Brophy College Preparatory

Chair of English Department

2014-present

  • Led redevelopment of curriculum to expand elective offerings and allow juniors and seniors to study specific English subtopics together in “mixed” classrooms

  • Created the Fr. Renna Reading Room nano-library after the closure of the main school library

  • Spearheaded the piloting, adoption, and rollout of several educational technologies: Membean (vocabulary), NoRedInk (grammar and writing), Albert (AP prep), CommonLit (reading), The Graide Network (writing feedback)

  • Completed the Seminars in Ignatian Leadership (2016-2018) through the Jesuit Schools Network

  • Co-authored an English Department Review Report after a two-day intensive visit of the St. Xavier High School (Cincinnati) English Department.

Brophy College Preparatory

English Teacher | Publications Advisor

2001-2004, 2007-present

  • Developed and taught courses in three academic departments:

    • World Languages: Latin 1

    • Art: Contemporary Humanities, Contemporary Cinema

    • English: English 1, Honors English 1, English 2, Honors English 2, AP English Language & Composition, Introduction to Creative Writing

    • Dual enrollment courses through Rio Salado College: ENH 111, ENH 241, ENH 242, CRW 150

  • Developed a reputation as an English teacher who

    • Provides substantive and personalized feedback on student writing

    • Generates energy and excitement for the Language Arts through his own enthusiasm

    • Adopts, leverages, and evaluates emerging educational technology

    • Seeks to connect students to real-world practitioners of language arts

      • Arranged Skype author visit with writer Brian Kenneth Swain

      • Facilitated a blog-mediated Q&A between students and a graphic novelist

      • Developed a connection with Brophy alumnus/author Jaime Clarke

      • Exchanges messages on Twitter with mega-author T.C. Boyle

  • Served as advisor to three important student organizations

    • Brophy Literary & Arts Magazine (BLAM) — oversaw the publication of eleven volumes, including a 2018 NSPA Pacemaker Award-winning magazine (2009-present)

    • The Wrangler satire newspaper — oversaw the publication of over eighty editions (2009-present)

    • Peer Editing Network (PEN) — oversaw an online student-run writing center that provides actionable feedback on writing-in-progress (2014-present)

  • Spearheaded the creation of school chapters of

    • Poetry Out Loud national poem recitation contest (2010-present)

    • Movember Men’s Health Awareness month — National Championship in High School Fundraising for the Wispy Lips Challenge (2010-2017)

  • Co-founded and co-led immersion trips and exchanges:

    • Argentina — co-created exchange to Santa Fe, Argentina for twelve Brophy students for thirty days (2009, 2010)

    • European Art & Architecture Tour — co-led group of students to study art and architecture in London, Paris, Florence, and Rome (2013)

  • Served as faculty moderator for twice-per-week after-school tutoring sessions at local elementary schools through the Loyola Project program

  • Served on various committees in service of school goals:

    • Principal’s Advisory Committee

    • Technology Committee

    • Awards Committee

  • Presented to colleagues at Colloquia and Symposia within the Jesuit Schools Network

  • Attended conference proceedings in a variety of interests areas: Associated Writers & Writing Programs (AWP), National Council for the Teachers of English (NCTE), National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

American English & Culture Program (AECP) | Arizona State University

Faculty Associate | Marketing & Communications Coordinator

2005-2007

 

Other Teaching Experiences


2000-2011

  • Taught ESL courses in grammar and writing and English for Special Purposes (art and architecture)

  • Communicated directly with international students and prospective students and answered visa, application, and curricular queries

  • Coordinated marketing and advertising efforts on behalf of the university’s ESL program

  • Traveled to three cities in Taiwan to recruit international students for ASU and AECP

 

  • Trainer of ESL Teachers, Summer 2011, Xiamen Electronic Vocational School, Xiamen, China

    • Trained a cohort of Chinese English teachers in adaptive ESL pedagogy

    • Developed ESL teaching materials for daily interactive seminars

    • Traveled through China on cultural tour

  • Lecturer, Teaching Assistant, Research Support, September 2004 - November 2005 at Queen Mary University of London, London, England

    • Taught undergrad course Language in the USA in #1 rated Linguistics department in UK

    • Provided research support for media language project by linguist Colleen Cotter

    • Completed transcripts for London English Project led by linguist Jenny Cheshire

  • English Teacher/Counselor, June 2001 — July 2001 at A.C.L.E. (Association Culture Linguistic Educational), San Remo, Italy

    • Served in team of English-teaching counselors in language camps for Italian children

    • Completed intensive TEFL training course and received TEFL certification through A.C.L.E.

  • ESL Teaching Lab Assistant, June 2000 — August 2000 at English Language Institute, American University, Washington, D.C.

    •  Taught low-level EFL lab sessions to a broad range of nationalities and ages using A/V and computer-aided lessons

    • Acted as Teacher’s Assistant for following ELI courses: Reading II, Writing Listening/Speaking II, Listening/Speaking III

EDUCATION

Queen Mary University of London

MA by Research in Linguistics

With Distinction, 2004-2005

MA Dissertation: "The New Populist Dictionary: A Computer-mediated, Ethnographic Case Study of an Online, Collaboratively-authored English Slang Dictionary."

Georgetown University

B.S.Li.

Magna Cum Laude, 2001 (GPA: 3.75)

Double Major: Linguistics and English (Writing Concentration)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Damaso, John. (2005). The New Populist Dictionary: A computer-mediated, ethnographic case study of an online, collaboratively authored English slang dictionary. MA dissertation, Queen Mary, University of London.

Cotter, Colleen & Damaso, John. (2007). Online Dictionaries as Emergent Archives of Contemporary Usage and Collaborative Codification. Queen Mary Occasional Papers Advancing Linguistics (OPALS), Queen Mary, University of London.

Damaso, J. & Cotter, C. (2007). UrbanDictionary.com. English Today. 23 (2), 19-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078407002040

Damaso, John A. (2019). Mr. D, Is This, Like, a Real Word? Stories of a Linguist in a High School English Classroom. Teaching Language Variation in the Classroom: Strategies and Models from Teachers and Linguists, Eds. Michelle D. Devereaux, Chris C. Palmer, Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429486678 | Download PDF)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS, LEADERSHIP, AWARDS

Rio Salado College. Teaching and Learning Award. 2016-17

Georgetown University. Alumni Association Program Interviewer. 2016-2019

The Graide Network. Teacher Ambassador Program. 2019-present.

National Council for the Teachers of English. Arizona State Coordinator for REALM (Recognizing Excellence in Arts and Literary Magazines. 2017-2019.

Parlay Ideas. Parlay Certified Educator. 2020-present.

Remind. Teacher Advisory Board. 2014-present.