Middle School for All

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I am passionate about teaching middle school because it is such an important time in a child's life. Middle school is a time of change and growth, and of course, making mistakes. I am passionate about providing a space for students to express themselves, learn to expect more from themselves, and to learn from the inevitable mistakes they make along the way. Originally, I didn't intend to teach middle school or special education. I bought into the popular narrative that these are the most difficult groups. When I tell people what I do now I still hear, "You must have the patience of a saint!" Thankfully I ended up taking an opportunity to teach Special Day Program classes at an award-winning middle school in Los Angeles. I'm so glad that I did because I learned how important strong middle school programs are for all kids. I constantly strive to create rigorous, standards-based curriculum that is actually engaging and promotes the success of all my students. I've seen how low expectations create a vicious cycle for students with disabilities both educationally and psychologically. When students are challenged they not only do better in school, but also have higher self esteem! The past several years I've also gotten the opportunity to co-teaching with general education teachers in the Gen Ed classroom. I noticed that both students with and without disabilities benefited from the materials that I created because they are structured, understandable, and leverage each student's ability through collaborative learning practices. Most importantly, I want to empower students to be informed and take charge of their own learning, which is a vital skill for all students to be lifelong learners.

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I earned my BA in Liberal Arts at Sarah Lawrence College in 2013. I earned my Master's in Special Education at Loyola Marymount University in 2016.

I was born and raised in Austin, TX, which still has a big piece of my heart. After moving to New York for college, I was offered an opportunity to move to Los Angeles and teach special education in a high need area. I fell in love with my school and community, so I ended up moving in down the street from it! Now Ive lived in Highland Park with my husband, Jordan, for the past two years, and I'm loving every minute!