About

A pedagogy rooted in encouraging curiosity

I am forever fascinated by how things work and motivated by why things happen. Some of my favorite moments as a kid involved homemade experiments, growing new plants in the garden, and reading books outside. Prior to the internet, a shelf of encyclopedias could keep me occupied for hours. Today, I am motivated by curiosity and the magic of the natural world: what are the Northern Lights, why are sunflowers heliotropic, how does nixtamalization work, why are our favorite foods acidic? This curiosity led me to pursue a food science degree and work within the food industry for more than 15 years before deciding to move into the wonderful world of teaching science back to the next generation of curious learners.

However, my educational history is more complex than what it seems as I wasn’t a perfect student and often struggled to enjoy classes. A classroom based on textbook busy work was often my demise, while an inquiry-based track and a passionate teacher kept me active and engaged. Having access to myriad of learning tools, active participation, and dynamic teachers full of both expertise in their subject matter and creativity as instructors allowed me to flourish. That influences my own approach as a teacher where I can add fuel to students’ already lit embers of learning. I believe in experiential learning experiences, differentiated lessons, and seeing students as people. I do not believe in sitting still, passive memorization, or textbook-only instruction.

Beyond microscopic reactions and things we cannot see, I am a community advocate for all neighbors big and small: we are all made of star stuff and deserve to be cared for, respected, and valued. It doesn’t take a microscope to see that our communities deserve better, our students deserve better, and our neighbors deserve better. Until the least of us has enough, my work both inside the classroom and outside in our community will persist.

Educational Experiences: