I am a certified educator of English Language Arts and Theatre Arts in New York State and I am an enthusiastic educator with a love of my subjects, a love of teaching, and a love of life. I am currently teaching 9th, 11th, and 12th grade ELA in the Bronx. Originally from Los Angeles, I received my BA in Theatre Education from California State University, Fullerton as well as completing CSUF's Teacher Certification Program in English. I recently completed my MA in Applied Drama: Theatre in Educational, Community, and Social Contexts at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK. While in the UK, I worked with the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) to create and deliver a six week drama workshop program for Year 9 students. While previously in NYC, I spent two years tutoring for Liberty Learning Lab/Education Link providing supplemental education in English and Math for students K-12. In California I taught GED English and Drama at both the high school and adult continuing education levels. Finally, I spent five years as a faculty/staff member at CSUF as a Scenic Lab Instructor and Master Carpenter teaching stagecraft, theatrical drafting, and production students proper building techniques, use of materials, and shop etiquette and safety.
As an educator, I am a firm believer in the ability of the arts to increase learning and deepen understanding across the curriculum. Cross-curricular arts integration develops strong creativity and independent thinking while bringing people together to share and learn about the feelings and experiences of the human race. I, therefore, actively seek ways to incorporate arts as well as technology into my lessons in the belief that cross-curricular education and active participation are keys to a greater understanding of subject matter and its real-life application. In addition, I understand the importance of taking the time to learn not only about my students' academic strengths and weaknesses, but their personal interests and goals. I find that this not only allows me to tailor instruction to their needs, it also permits the building of trust in our relationship, which grants them the freedom to take risks and grow because they know I am there to support them every step of the way.
