Welcome! The fall of 2019 begins my 18th year teaching, which has all been in the CVUSD and at Los Cerritos Middle School. I earned my BA in English from Sonoma State University in 2000 and credential and Masters of Arts in Education from Pepperdine University in 2001. I have had the privilege of working with educators who think outside of the box when it comes to delivering instruction. I am not a "one size fits all teacher" because students are not that way. "...we can have inquisitive discussions in class and share ideas only. It's really more of a study group then a strict classroom-and that's a good thing" (8H Student, 2018).
I work collaboratively with the English department to provide different types of learning for different types of learners. The class relies around a student centered approach to teaching Language Arts, stressing creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication utilizing Problem Based Learning and Socratic Seminar. I strive to be the "guide on the side" instead of the "sage on the stage" allowing your students to discover for themselves. "I love the atmosphere our class has-casual yet intelligent" (8H Student 2018). Additionally, my teaching style revolves around the idea that students should be assessed on the work they submit, not on the work they fail to submit. Zeros do not inform instruction, nor do they reveal if a student has mastered standards. With this in mind, I strive to complete new and developing tasks in the classroom, not as homework, where they may be lost, avoided, or forgotten.
Remember: “Pressure is necessary; it pushes water through the pipes. Stress, however, will break the pipe.”
On a personal note, I have been married for 17 years to my husband, who works as a product engineer for a private yet international tech company. We are both natives of Westlake and Thousand Oaks, but we did not become friends until college. Together, we have two amazing sons: Liam and Gavin, who are intelligent and full of wonder, but with Autism, they keep us on our toes and never make life boring. Liam is an 8th grader at LC, active in choir and WEB, and Gavin is a 7th grader at LC. I am a homebody and cherish my family time and small yet inspiring group of friends. I find release in running and other Beachbody at home workouts, which sometimes students may find me doing at lunch or for RTI. I am a pluviophile, one who loves the rain, so there is more pep in my step when it's gray. I am beyond in love with the Pacific Northwest, I attempt to survive on caramel cappuccinos with oat milk from The Five 07, and one will always find my nose in my Kindle devouring YA literature and romance novels.
I absolutely love my job and enjoy my students! I look forward to this school year!