Who I am in and out of the classroom
About Me
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While I was working on my undergraduate degree, I had the privilege of working with a program called Upward Bound. This program connected high school students from Detroit with a college. In my work with this program, I taught SAT prep courses on Saturdays, taught 2-weeks at a Detroit school over the summer, and taught 2-weeks at Central Michigan University campus. This program was my first experience with multicultural teaching and started the love that I have for the diversity found in schools.
I received my undergraduate degree from Central Michigan University on 12/13/14. My degree was a Bachelor of Science in Education with a double major in Mathematics and School Health Education. I always wanted to live somewhere new, and just after graduation seemed like a perfect opportunity. Three days later, my car was packed and I was on a new adventure to Seattle, Washington.
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Once I landed in Seattle, I got a job at Renton High School, where I have been ever since. Renton is a Title 1 school that has a very diverse demographic. This school has taught me the difference between equal and equity. I have found out that equity is what schools should strive for, to help eliminate barriers for any students, and provide a high quality education for all by reaching them where they are. My Teaching Philosophy has evolved as I have learned. This has been emphasized by my graduate work (found on my Showcase).
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Being at Renton has it's challenges, with Title 1 schools there always are. But the positive always wins. Those positives come from students such as Black Student Union (BSU) performing for the school during assemblies, or just practicing outside of your classroom. Sometimes the positive comes from a clean and organized classroom. Still sometimes you have to create the positive, like our former assistant principle did by creating a do-now for my math students.
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My family does not live near me. My youngest sister, Tory, is currently in school, in Hayward, California (near San Francisco). Jessica and Beth, as well as my mother, Mary Ellen live in Michigan. My father, Rick, passed away in July after a 9 month battle with stage IV lung cancer. While my family is far away, they are always just a phone call, text, or Skype away.
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One of my greatest pleasures outside of school is traveling and hiking. My perfect companion is my dog Ary (named after Arya Stark, in Game of Thrones). Most of my bucket list involves traveling. With my number one being a hiking trip to Machu Picchu, and number two being visiting every continent, including Antarctica.