Dr. Kimberly Athans joined the School of Education faculty at Point Loma Nazarene University in 2017. She began her teaching career as a tutor in the writing center at The University of San Diego, where she studied English and education, and where she obtained her teaching credential in 1996. In her twenty years in public education, she has taught Dual Credit English, AP/IB English, journalism, and traditional English classes grades 9-12 in California & Texas. Her research interests are in literacy/reading, best practices teaching writing, and the legacy and work of the National Writing Project. Professor Athans currently teaches classes in children’s literature, educational theory, assessment & research, and literacy for high school teachers.
Education
- BA English, University of San Diego, EdD Curriculum & Instruction (literacy), University of San Diego,
- MA English, University of Houston,
- EdD Literacy, Sam Houston State University
Courses Taught
- EDU 3002: Foundations of Education and Learning Theory
- EDU 4009:Classroom Assessment and Research Practices
- ENG 3025: Child & Adolescent Literature
- EDU 6020: Literacy Instruction for Secondary Teachers
- ENG 3053: Diverse Women Writers
Experience in Field
- Best practices teaching writing
- Teaching college composition & rhetoric
- Legacy & transformative nature of the National Writing Project
- Reading in the digital age; multi-modal literacies
Professional and Community Involvement
- California Writing Project Advisory Board Member (2025-present)
California Young Readers Medal Committee Member (2025-present)
Review Board Member, Educational Media International (EMI), a Taylor & Francis journal for the International Council for Educational Media (2025-present)
Rank & Tenure Committee, PLNU, (2023-present)
SOE Teacher Education Committee (2017-2025)
National Council of Teachers of English (2001-present)
NCTE Recognizing Excellence in Literary Magazines Reviewer (2022-present)
NCTE Student Writing Contest Reviewer (2021-present)
California Association of Teachers of English (2017-present)
Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (2008-present)
Character Education Resource Center Advisory Committee, University of San Diego (2019-present)
Mt. Carmel High School Choir Boosters- Secretary, (2017-present)
National Writing Project Fellow (Sam Houston State University & CSU San Marcos)
Awards and Honors
- PLNU Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Faculty Writing Retreat Recipient, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Highlighted Alumni, SOLES, University of San Diego, 2019
- New Teacher of the Year, Robison Junior High School, 1996
Dissertations, Presentations, and Publications
PUBLICATIONS
Books:
Roseboro, A. & Steffel, S., & Athans, K. (contributor) et al. (2023). Empowering learners: Teaching different genres to diverse student bodies. Rowman & Littlefield.
Columns:
Athans, K. (2023). "A mirror to the soul: Teaching culturally & linguistically diverse populations", California English, 29 (1).
Peer Reviewed Articles:
Athans, K. (2025). “Shaking up our glitter jars in the national writing project”. Texas Journal of Literacy Education (under review).
Athans, K. (2025). “The greatness of the great gatsby”, California English, 31 (2).
Athans, K. (2024). “Inviting the dining room table conversation into our classrooms”. English In Texas, (54) 2.
Athans, K. (2024). “Teaching among the tumbleweeds: Helping new teachers thrive”. California English, 30 (1).
Athans, K. (2023). “Poetry is a vibe: Engaging students with poetry”. California English, 28 (3).
Athans, K. (2022). “You can’t dab ink from a dry well: Creating confident, passionate writers.” California English, 28 (1).
Athans, K. (2022). “The mystique of the national writing project”. Texas Journal of Literacy Education, 9 (2).
Athans, K. (2022). “I like you just the way you are: Why secondary teachers need Fred Rogers.” English in Texas. 52 (1).
Athans, K. & Sheryl Clark. (2022). “Be the candle & the mirror that reflects it: The place of canonical & popular culture texts in our classrooms”. California English, 27 (3).
Athans, K. (2021). “Building a cathedral”. California English, 27 (2).
Athans, K. (2021). “How do I know what I think until I see what I say: Speculative writing as a habit of mind”. California English, 26 (4).
Athans, K. (2021). “Poetry discussion groups in the secondary English classroom”. English Journal, 110 (5).
Athans, K. (2020). “Tide pool to the stars: The aesthetic value of literature”. Signal Journal: The Journal of the International Literacy Association’s Special Interest Group: Network on Adolescent Literature, 43 (2).
Athans, K. (2020). “Tide pool to the stars: Literacy narrative”. California English, 25 (4).
Athans, K. (2020). “Balloons in a boundless sky: Teachers who write create students who write”. English in Texas, 49 (2).
Athans, K. (2019). “A red balloon tied to an anchor”. California English, 24 (4).
Book Reviews:
Athans, K. (2022). “The residue of the old mellows and sweetens the new: What Alan Jacobs teaches us in his book breaking bread with the dead”. English in Texas, 51 (2).
Athans, K. (2016). “The pleasures of reading in an age of distraction”, English in Texas, 46 (2).
Conference Papers:
Benge, C., Athans, K. et al. (2016). “Using academic notebooks in doctoral writing: An Investigation of doctoral students’ and instructors’ perceptions”. AERA Conference, Washington D.C.
PRESENTATIONS
For Point Loma Nazarene University:
“Filling Up our Glitter Jars in the National Writing Project,” CWP CATE Pre-Convention, From Classrooms to Communities: Teaching Writing for a Democratic Future!, March 2026
"The Mystique of the National Writing Project: The Transformative Effects of the Summer Institute on Teachers", Faculty Development Day, Point Loma Nazarene University, 2024
"Speculative Writing as a Habit of Mind", San Marcos Writing Project, Cal State San Marcos, June 2023 & June 2024
"Which Texts Work as Windows and Mirrors for Your Students?"
Character Education Conference, University of San Diego, June 2019
Live United! An Integration of Science & Faith; "Integrating Christian Elements in Clinical Practice"; Point Loma Nazarene University, April 2019
"Literacy Practices for Secondary Teachers", University of Southern Maine, December 2018
For Sam Houston State University:
Using Academic Notebooks in Doctoral Writing: An Investigation of Doctoral Students’ and Instructors’ Perceptions, Presented at AERA, Washington D.C., 2016
Poetry Circles in the Secondary Classroom, Reading & Writing Conference, Sam Houston State University, 2013
Read Around Groups, Sam Houston Writing Project, June 2013
For Lone Star College:
Alone Together, Faculty Book Study Leader, Lone Star College University Park, 2014
Honors Symposium Showcase, Lone Star College University Park, 2014
The Pleasures of Reading in a Digital Age, Lone Star College University Park, 2013
Visual Rhetoric & Media Literacy, Lone Star College Montgomery, 2010
Using E-Portfolios in the College Classroom, Lone Star College Montgomery, 2007
Teaching Grammar to Developmental Writing Students, Lone Star College Tomball, 2005
For Conroe Independent School District:
Close Reading Using Cornell Notes, 2016
State of our Schools Superintendent’s Address, 2015
Exciting Ways to Engage Students in their Understanding and Appreciation of Poetry, 2015
Commonplace Books in the Literature Classroom, 2014
Using Inquiry Circles in the Secondary Classroom, 2013
Poetry Circles in the Secondary Classroom, 2012
Literature Circles in the Secondary Classroom, 2011
