“Our students are so talented and I love to show them that their hard work is appreciated.”
Trying the uncertain has worked out well for English instructor David Kleinman. As an undergraduate, he began a series of trial and error, testing majors such as Pre-Med, Music, Anthropology and Philosophy before experimenting with English. Kleinman found English to be a "good fit," earning a bachelor's degree in the subject from the University of Iowa, then completing a master's degree in Writing at DePaul University. He started a career as a professional writer, specializing in technical writing and contributing to online publications, before moving to Hampton in 2006. Initially Kleinman was reluctant to try his hand at teaching, but learned that Thomas Nelson had a good reputation among instructors. He planned on giving teaching at least one semester to see if he enjoyed it and has been on the job for 10 years.
Kleinman teaches students who are preparing to transfer in his English 111 and 112 classes, which are required by most majors. He also teaches the creative writing course. Kleinman describes his teaching style using one word, disruption. He wants to disrupt the way his students see the world, not to change their views, but to inspire them to examine their opinions and perceptions critically.
While his duties in the Thomas Nelson English department are a major part of his career, Kleinman hasn't given up on writing. He continues to receive assignments for technical articles in magazines and writes reviews for local online arts publications, including AltDaily.com from the Virginian Pilot.
Among the many articles he writes each year, Kleinman always takes the opportunity to write a story on each production staged by Thomas Nelson's Performing Arts program. He has long been a supporter of the school's theatre program, saying, "Our students are so talented and I love to show them that their hard work is appreciated."