- Lic# 013424032
Hello! As I write I’m the parent of a 10 year old and 7 year old, and learning along side them is my privilege.
I’ve always had an idea of what my life would be… that was not mine, but given to me all the same, by the adults in my environment.
In some ways it all panned out: degree goals, career goals, marriage and family goals, “met”.
But in other nagging, lingering, harder and harder ways, it felt like important things were missing everywhere I looked.
This makes sense as, the child rearing and educational practices we’re accustomed to may be based more on the traumas of our ancestors and ill intent of our leaders, than the science of the brain and the social future of humanity.
As a child I was a big sister, theater kid, and camp counselor. It was easy to decide that teaching was right for me.
Earning my degree in Human Development from the University of California San Diego included digging deeply into cognitive science, psychology, anthropology, and sociology.
I went on to earn a Masters in Developmental Teacher Education from the University of California Berkeley where I dove deeper into the history of education, studying theorists like Maria Montessori and Jean Piaget. I learned more about the historical context of schools and their relationship with learning in society.
I thought when I entered the education system, my passion for supporting children learning well with the knowledge of the brain at the forefront would not be unique, but I found out I was wrong.
When I began teaching, the driving question never left the front of my mind: How do children best learn? After 7 years teaching in public elementary and junior high classrooms, and 5 years in a Reggio Emilia preschool, I have found two key and crucial ingredients:
I cannot claim that this is the whole answer or that I won’t learn more as I go, but here’s where I begin.
Learning in educational environments, learning about my own neurodivergence, and learning about our social and cultural context have led me out of classrooms and toward Reggio Emilia aligned education.
Because I care about every single child growing into their happiest, smartest, and strongest selves, I believe in liberation and human rights for all. (A perspective I’ve come to through discomfort, effort, and help to unlearn my maleducation.)
I’ve spent about 30 years now working with children: doing my best to help kids and parents see in themselves their ever-expanding capacity and their absolute unquestionable worthiness.
What I’ve found is: we enter this world with the capacity to learn so much more than our culture has allowed us to think.
I’ve seen learning come like water from a faucet when love and autonomy are the foundation of education.
In the spirit of care and creativity, I offer what I’ve learned to you.
I hope to grow in collaboration with you and the kids!
Oh, I’m also a person beyond studying education and human development. I love animals, waterfalls, hikes, walks, hot summer nights under the stars, swimming, singing, dancing, reading, researching, wordplay, being silly, being weird, resting all cozy, and getting to benefit from the awesome diversity of restaurants here in Oakland.
I’m rarely on Face**** or Inst***** but I can be found there. I’m on clickclock talking, listening, and learning if you want to find me there.)
