- Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT+) Northeastern University
- Massachusetts Initial Licenses:
- Elementary Education (1-6)
- Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8)
- English as a Second Language (PreK-6)
- English (5-8)
I first became seriously interested in teaching children when I was pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at San Francisco State University. When I entered the program, I imagined that I was headed toward a career of teaching college-level creative and expository writing. That began to change when I started volunteering at 826 Valencia, a writing and tutoring center for children in San Francisco's Mission District, a low- to middle-income neighborhood with a large Spanish speaking population. I absolutely loved helping students with their homework during drop-in tutoring hours. One day I might help a second-grader with her spelling; the next week I might be paired with a seventh-grade student who needed help with his algebra homework. I never knew if I would get a student who wanted to work, or one who would need extra help and encouragement in order to focus. It was fun and challenging, and I loved being around these energetic young people and growing to understand how they learned. Eventually, I also taught several free creative writing workshops at 826 for a variety of age groups.
Since then, I have volunteered at urban elementary and middle schools in San Francisco, worked as a special education aide at a suburban Boston middle school, and completed my Elementary and Special Education practica at the Maurice J. Tobin school in Roxbury. I am currently working part time as a special education teacher in Acton, and part time as a system-wide substitute teacher in the Boston Public Schools. My students bring me new joys and challenges every day!
I am fascinated by the great variety of ways in which children learn. I love teaching all types of elementary and middle school students, but my special passion is for working with students who have mild-moderate learning disabilities.