Hello! And welcome to my store! My name is Holly, and I have 14 years of experience teaching various grades in the public school system, as well as homeschooling my young children over the last few years. I have a B.A. in Zoology, and began teaching when I was a naturalist at an outdoor science school in the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California. There, I taught groups of 5th and 6th graders (a different school every week) lessons in ecology from birds, mammals, and decomposers, to other subjects such as archaeology and archery (I was an educator in over twenty different environmental topics and personal growth subjects). That position alone helped me build not only confidence as an educator, but also as a leader, and taught me how to always incorporate the joy of learning and my own personality into every lesson. It also taught me the great importance of connecting with each student and letting them know that they matter and will be respected and heard. What I learned then has everything to do with the kind of educator and parent that I am now. Along with teaching the major subjects (ELA, math, science, social studies), I also have experiencing teaching ELD (English Language Development). During my classroom years, our district budget didn't allow for Art and music to be regular classes for our students, so I found ways of incorporating music and art into lessons, projects, and/or performances. Now as a mother of 3 lively young ladies, I have developed a multitude of lessons that incorporate STEAM and literature. These lessons are highly engaging, creative, and rich in learning opportunities both academically and social-emotionally.