I have taught preservice teachers for over eight years, and I practice what I preach to them: enter relationships with a growth mindset rather than a deficit perspective, bring students' own funds of knowledge into activities (whether that knowledge involves all the statistics of their favorite sports team or how to read a subway map), and keep lessons fun. I have found these priorities also work well with tutoring teens and young adults.
My bachelor's is in Anthropology (with a minor in English). That, along with my international travel, has given me a broad worldview and motivated me to earn a PhD in Social Foundations of Education. The field looks at how events and social forces shape our schools. I have conducted research in the US and UK and am a member of the American Educational Research Association and an Executive Board member of the Critical Race Studies in Education Association. I continue my exploration of teaching techniques through online courses, webinars, and conferences because I believe that no matter how much experience we have, we can all learn new ideas and perspectives.