Ryan Burns (he/him) is an English teacher at Smithfield High School in Smithfield, Rhode Island and an adjunct professor at Rhode Island College. With a doctorate in literacy, culture and language education from Indiana University, his research explores social justice and critical literacy in English education, LGBTQ+ adolescent literature, and the stories and experiences of queer educators in the classroom. As a mentor to new and aspiring educators, Burns draws from his experiences as a Rhode Island Writing Project teacher consultant and a Teach Plus Teaching Policy Fellow. His writing has appeared in multiple academic publications, including "Acts of Resistance: Subversive Teaching in the English Language Arts Classroom" and "Queer Adolescent Literature as a Complement to the English Language Arts Curriculum.”
