Eileen is joined by her son Daniel Bigham at the Writing and Poetry Camp awards ceremony.
Miss Eileen is a writing teacher extraordinaire. Teaching is her passion and it shows as she engages children through story, critical thinking and drama. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Eileen holds endorsements in language arts, fine art, as in addition to her degree in elementary education. Eileen is currently employed as a full time fifth grade teacher at Pepper elementary in Oak Park and has been teaching in Oak Park since 2004.
During her short tenure with the district, she has taught narrative and process writing as well as drama at the secondary level. In her first year teaching, her 7th grade students had the highest MEAP writing scores in the Oak Park School District. That comes as no surprise to those who are familiar with her through Ann Arbor Recreation and Education
Fifteen years ago, Bigham created and implemented the popular “Summer Writing Camp” which continues to grow each year, sparking the creative voice of thousands. “Young people begin to feel important when they realize the stories of their own lives are powerful!” enthuses Bigham. “I could talk about my students and their amazing stories all day! Pull up a chair. How long have you got?”
Eileen’s goals are to publish her own children’s stories and re- visit Japan, where she lived as a child. Eileen has many interests and when she isn’t teaching, she is an avid reader and her writer’s notebook is her best friend. She has been married for twenty-five years to John, the love of her life and enjoys holidays with their six children. Currently, she dotes on her new grand daughter, Samantha.
