Biography

Hi!  I have been at Alice King Community School since 2010.  While at AKCS, I taught in a 4th/5th grade inclusion classroom for six years and am now in my second year as the Dean of Instruction.  Prior to teaching at AKCS, I was an educator in APS for 10 years.  During that time I was a Math Interventionist, worked as a Title I Parent/School Liaison, and taught fifth grade. I graduated from UNM in 2000 with a B.S. in Elementary Education, and in 2012 with an M.A. in Elementary Education with an emphasis on Reflective Practice.  I also have an endorsement in Teaching English as a Second Language.

I am passionate about curriculum/instruction and enjoy designing curriculum in order to meet individual student needs. Children learn in a multitude of ways and instructional methods need to be varied with the goal of the learner in mind. I strongly believe that an inclusive environment benefits all learners academically, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. An important aspect of the learning process is for students to acquire self-management skills by learning how to set goals in order to monitor their own individual growth.  Social-emotional learning is vital in order for students to feel safe and ready to learn. Creating a strong school community in which students are respectful, kind, compassionate, engaged, cooperative, and responsible is a cornerstone of my educational philosophy.

I enjoy spending time with my husband and two daughters. We love the outdoors... camping, fishing, and hunting.  I absolutely love to travel and to see new places around the world.  Some of my favorite places are Seattle, New York, Amsterdam, and Paris.