Joel Mowdy

Joelas earned his Bachelor’s degree in English Literature at Hofstra University and a Master’s degree in Creative Writing at the University of Michigan. He has been teaching English and Global Perspectives internationally for nearly twenty years. He views teaching as a partnership built on trust, respect, and creativity, and he encourages students to take responsibility for their own education.

Any day you step into Joel’s classroom, you might find some students working independently on writing projects, others preparing an oral presentation in pairs or small groups, while some are outlining storylines for films they’ve envisioned or rehearsing an original song they’ve written. In the quietest corner, one student might be puzzling over a problem and explaining it to a classmate.


Joel’s goal is to teach students to think critically, speak clearly, listen attentively, and write with confidence. He emphasizes the idea that expressing thoughts in essays, speeches, or presentations is not the final measure of students’ knowledge and skills, but rather an opportunity to test their ideas – and that the best ideas are born through this very process of experimentation.

In his free time, Joel plays guitar, creates art, cooks, and enjoys life at his countryside homestead in Lithuania, where he and his wife host artist residencies and other creative events. He has published a short story collection and regularly contributes essays to various publications.