How did I get here?

I was born in Northampton, MA and had the honor of going to fabulous schools throughout my childhood. In elementary school, my experience was completely shaped by the dedication and creativity of my music teacher, Penny Schultz. The further I get away from elementary school, I realize more and more how incredible she was. It’s because of her involvement in my elementary school experience that I included singing in my classroom this year. Singing is such a joyful part of learning, emobdying rhythm, and creating together. At the beginning of the year, I taught them this song:

Welcome to our school, glad to meet you yessirree. A new year has begun, full of possibility. And we’ll have fun learning, creating, making things together! Welcome ________, welcome with your family. 

Watch the video below to hear them singing a version of it where i changed the lyrics to match our return from April break. 

Besides for Penny, my overall experience in elementary and high school were also out-of-the ordinary (as I realized later in college). I went to Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School and Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School, respectively. I do not believe charter schools should take away from the funds for public schools as they do, and I also had a wonderfully learning-filled, self-discovering time at both of them (both can be true!). 

Additionally, there are many family members of mine who are in the education field – music teachers, bilingual teachers, English teachers, and science teachers. My aunt in Sacramento, CA started the Restorative Schools Vision Project and her vision stays with me as I try and cultivate circles of restorative justice in my classroom. 

Through the many avenues of support and inspiration in my life, I found myself staying an extra year at Clark University to get my Masters in Teaching and it has been a joy working with creative and curious students, and to learn more about myself everyday. 

 

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Below is a poster I made for a class about language acquisition, and particularly English Language Learners. Making this poster was a real journey into who I am as an educator. I recorded myself giving a presentation on this poster in March, and below are excerpts of it describing the details of the poster. 

1. Why do I call it a Langwij Filosofee? 

 

2.  Explaining the bottom part of the poster: What do educators need in order to teach language? 

• Believing my students are capable (with differentiated support) and intelligent
• Languages are in constant flux, as are the heterogeneous groups that speak them
• Knowing the words that matter to me and teaching quality words
• Learning together
• Believe the zone of proximal development is as expansive and growing as the support given
• Language is a process
• Listening so language is relatable and comprehensible
• Recognizing the importane of language in my own culture

 

3. What is critical that my students have? (the meat and potatoes)

 

4. Who is the student who feels this support? 

• BICS stands for “Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills”
• CALP stands for “Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency”

 

4.a Explaining the “hair” of the child drawn 

 

4. b Explaining the ears on the child drawn

 

4.c The poem around the head of the child