About Me
I am a quirky and nerdy teacher with a creative yet restless mind. Anxiety and learning do not mix. Yet, I continue to learn, try, and challenge myself and my students to do things we never thought we could or wanted to do. Education is my passion because I get the opportunity to experiment, fail, try again, learn, and grow with my students and colleagues. My "nerdy"ness has lead to so many enjoyable opportunities like kayaking, spending a week on a ranch, crocheting almost any challenge placed before me, searching the garden for bug pics, meditating with students in the courtyard, and leading yoga and Zumba sessions after school for the school community. "The more you learn, the more you grow", that's the saying, right?
So as time continues to change, I will follow suit. I am open to expansion of the mind and openness in my heart to learn from all experiences and live fully in each moment. Most importantly, I vow to share what I learn with others in my most authentic, quirky, colorful way possible.
For the 2019-2020 school year, I will be teaching Principles of Business (~100 students), Business Information Management (~20 students), and a Project Based Learning class (~10 students). Students will range from 9th to 12th grade. While coding is not the main focus of my classes, we use the same key skills: problem solving, respect for others, connection, communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. Our "coding" will be creating events for our community schools to encourage family fun, health, and well-being: Family Fun Nights.
We are each unique learners. I struggle with dyslexia and anxiety like many of my students and people across the world. Interesting enough, my belief in the importance of having a growth mindset. Growth mindset is the belief that each challenge and failure is an opportunity to learn. However, cultivating a growth mindset is a process that includes the following steps:
Step 1: Learn to hear your "fixed" mindset voice. This means being aware of negative self talk and being open to experiences as they come.
Step 2: Recognize that you have a choice. The choice is how you think and respond. For example, I have always struggled with writing essays due to my dyslexia, but I choose to keep enrolling in classes as a lifelong learner. I can choose to start a paper being frustrated and expecting the worse, or I can eat a cookie, brainstorm, take coloring and brain breaks, and keep working until the essay is over.
Step 3: Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice. Coloring, and breaks are my way of signaling that I need a break and will come back to the assignment.
Step 4: Take the growth mindset action. I choose to take a break when frustrated, then go back when feeling refreshed. I refuse to just say "I can't" and focus on "yet".
2019-2020 I am embarking on a whole new journey into the world of creating with Apple and learning to code. My world has revolved around PC, Windows, and Android products. Let's just say my students are way ahead of me when it comes to using and being familiar with iPads and IOS. I'm excited to learn with students. Our classroom is decorated with over 50 positive quotes and I use mindfulness techniques with all students every day. I can't code "yet" but wait and see what I create by the the summer of 2020.
As stated before, growth mindset requires cultivation. My students and I will develop this skill daily. My approach to mindset has been to share my learning challenges with students and share strategies that help me learn. Students are currently excited about app development and creating a business plan. These students have worked through challenges together and we are excited to see what they can do individually.
Step 1: Learn to hear your "fixed" mindset voice. This means being aware of negative self talk and being open to experiences as they come.
Step 2: Recognize that you have a choice. The choice is how you think and respond. For example, I have always struggled with writing essays due to my dyslexia, but I choose to keep enrolling in classes as a lifelong learner. I can choose to start a paper being frustrated and expecting the worse, or I can eat a cookie, brainstorm, take coloring and brain breaks, and keep working until the essay is over.
Step 3: Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice. Coloring, and breaks are my way of signaling that I need a break and will come back to the assignment.
Step 4: Take the growth mindset action. I choose to take a break when frustrated, then go back when feeling refreshed. I refuse to just say "I can't" and focus on "yet".
2019-2020 I am embarking on a whole new journey into the world of creating with Apple and learning to code. My world has revolved around PC, Windows, and Android products. Let's just say my students are way ahead of me when it comes to using and being familiar with iPads and IOS. I'm excited to learn with students. Our classroom is decorated with over 50 positive quotes and I use mindfulness techniques with all students every day. I can't code "yet" but wait and see what I create by the the summer of 2020.
As stated before, growth mindset requires cultivation. My students and I will develop this skill daily. My approach to mindset has been to share my learning challenges with students and share strategies that help me learn. Students are currently excited about app development and creating a business plan. These students have worked through challenges together and we are excited to see what they can do individually.