Education and Experience
I Graduated from the University of California San Diego in 1996 with a Bachelor's degree in Biological Anthropology. My focus was the study of biological, cultural, and cognitive systems, and applying them to our society today. I obtained my multiple-subject teaching credential at Sonoma State University in the 2003, with two supplemental credentials in mathematics and science. Last year I completed My Master's in Education in Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning, with an added certification in Reading.
I Graduated from the University of California San Diego in 1996 with a Bachelor's degree in Biological Anthropology. My focus was the study of biological, cultural, and cognitive systems, and applying them to our society today. I obtained my multiple-subject teaching credential at Sonoma State University in the 2003, with two supplemental credentials in mathematics and science. Last year I completed My Master's in Education in Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning, with an added certification in Reading.
Teaching Experience
I have been teaching at Hillcrest Middle School in my home town of Sebastopol, California for the last fifteen years. I am fortunate to be part of a small district that is dedicated to excellence in education, and highly values community and parent involvement. Our school is unique in that it has two 6th-8th grade programs running side-by-side: our traditional program, and the ENRICH! Creative Arts Program. I have been teaching in the ENRICH! program since its inception in 2000. This program is an extended day program that enhances the curriculum through art and technology enrichment courses. As a core teacher, I am fortunate to teach in all subject areas including language arts, social studies, mathematics, and physical science. This gives me an opportunity to approach my instruction through cross-curriculum units of study, and also allows me to take full advantage of critical thinking opportunities with my students through multiple intelligences and a multi-modal approach to the curriculum.
I have been teaching at Hillcrest Middle School in my home town of Sebastopol, California for the last fifteen years. I am fortunate to be part of a small district that is dedicated to excellence in education, and highly values community and parent involvement. Our school is unique in that it has two 6th-8th grade programs running side-by-side: our traditional program, and the ENRICH! Creative Arts Program. I have been teaching in the ENRICH! program since its inception in 2000. This program is an extended day program that enhances the curriculum through art and technology enrichment courses. As a core teacher, I am fortunate to teach in all subject areas including language arts, social studies, mathematics, and physical science. This gives me an opportunity to approach my instruction through cross-curriculum units of study, and also allows me to take full advantage of critical thinking opportunities with my students through multiple intelligences and a multi-modal approach to the curriculum.
Social Emotional Learning
In addition to teaching academic curriculum, I am also trained in two social-emotional programs; Empower, and Second Step. I have attended two Empower training courses, as well as a district-wide Second Step program. I am committed to each student's growth in communication, decision making, and community connections. I enjoy combining this knowledge with other positive classroom management techniques and classroom meetings to promote a safe and successful working environment for my students.
Universal Themes and Big Ideas
Throughout the year, our class will be focusing on connecting universal themes through multiple curricular subjects. I am very excited to incorporate the methods learned from the California Association for the Gifted (CAG) institute, Junior Great Books, and our most recent Common Core training. These methods will encourage our class to find the depth and complexity within the core curriculum, and find the means to connect them to universal “Big Ideas" such as change, relationships, structure, order vs. chaos, relationships, power, and conflict. This type of enriched critical thinking is imperative to teaching students to make higher level connections, and is very effective in differentiating instruction to meet and challenge each student’s cognitive capabilities. My goal is to encourage students to see the importance of close examination, pertinent questioning, and healthy decision making. Each of these elements can be applied not only to our academic courses, but also to our personal interactions every day.