My teaching career began many years ago in an Inuit village in Alaska (on the Chukchi Sea). It was a lot of hard work, but I came away from that experience understanding the importance of meeting each student where he/she/they were at: cognitively, emotionally, and physically. I work with my students as a coach and learning partner, tailoring what they need so they can get to where they want to go.
I have a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Western Washington University, a Master's of Science Degree from the University of Minnesota, Mankato, and a PhD in Education from the University of Colorado, Boulder. I have taught thousands of college students for over 25 years: human development, educational philosophy, teaching pedagogy, research and writing skills, and speaking/presentation skills. I also taught high school students for a couple of years in Alaska and am currently a high school teacher for Seattle Public Schools; my class is called "Careers in Education." I treat my high school students like I treat adults, and work with them to take ownership of their learning so they can continue to build the muscles of self-advocacy and leadership.
Because I work so carefully with my students on-one-on, I call myself a teacher-tutor-coach. With me, students learn reading skills, writing for different audiences, researching and writing master's theses or dissertations, and presenting information in a clear and confident way. I have also prepared students for the edTPA (capstone project at the end of student teaching) and the Praxis Test (for Para-Educator jobs). I have a 100% success rate with my students on those assessments. While the bulk of my career has been at the college level (undergraduate and graduate), I have had experience teaching middle and high school students, as well!
In my spare time, I enjoy reading historical novels and writing my own books and blogs. Walking helps me relax and also process what I am learning and teaching. So I love to walk near water and in the woods.