I grew up in a small town with one stoplight in rural southeast Texas. At 25 I moved away from home and landed in San Diego (where there are countless stoplights, ha) and restarted my college career at Mesa Community College which eventually led me to graduate from University of California, San Diego with a degree in Human Development with a minor in Education. I am the first in my family to graduate from college and the only one to live outside of Texas, which are both things I am super proud of.
While obtaining my Human Development degree I focused my classes on child development, infancy through adolescence. I was able to take courses in language development, brain development, and psychology, as well as several courses discussing social and cultural differences. These classes were extremely interesting to me because they taught me both the science of learning as well as the techniques that are most beneficial for children.
After graduating I went straight on to earn my Masters of Education and those classes were the most fun, which showed me I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Then March of 2020 happened and the world did a weird loop de loop. Suddenly all of my classes were virtual and I was Student Teaching virtually; which meant I was learning so much and gaining so much knowledge as a student and teacher simultaneously during the start of everyone doing online learning.
I strongly believe that school should be a space where kids feel excited and grow a desire to explore and take risks. Creating an inclusive classroom community where all students respect and support each other is crucial for healthy development for children. During my experiences I have developed an impressive toolkit of diverse, effective, flexible, and student centered practices to bring into my classroom.
That is where this page comes in, I want to help other teachers be the best teacher they can be while helping them hold on to the spark of joy that led them to the classroom. I am planning to offer tips and guidance to promote a Growth Mindset in yourself and the kids in your life. I want to share how easy it is to incorporate Social Emotional Learning in all subject areas. Additionally I want this to be a place for parents to come and learn how to do this at home, we all know how important it is for school and home life to have strong connections. So I am here to lend a hand to and offer some fun activities and tricks to build these life skills for themselves and their children.