A Little Bit About Me

This is my sixth year at Eleanor Roosevelt. Prior to this I taught high school English and drama, primarily to at-risk youth. Seeing the school system regularly failing the students I worked with, and watching my oldest son begin to struggle with facets of the school system, I began to question the very notion of putting children into a system. They are, after all, not manufactured goods! I feel that my job as Educational Coordinator is to support the parents as they search for the best methods and materials to serve their children. No one method or book is the right fit for all children, so I try to help my parents reflect on how their child learns best and how their family works so that each child can be successful.

I have an A.A. in Drama from C.O.S. in Visalia, (I got to go back and teach a semester of Beginning Acting there a few years ago. What fun!) and a B.A. in English from U.C. Irvine. I earned my credential at U.C. Irvine as well. More recently, I earned my CLAD certificate, which is a certificate given to teachers who have demonstrated knowledge and ability to teach English to second-language learners. I have taken numerous workshops in teaching reading and writing over the years, as well as training in working with student peer groups. I have acted in various shows at the Ice House Theater, and recently co-directed and acted in Crimes of the Heart for the Three Rivers Players.

ERCLC Classes

Drama

Acting is the study of humanity (a fairly big topic! ), but it is an art that is accessible to children at a very young age. Both of my drama workshops, one for grades K-5 and one for grades 6-12, focus on theater games and improvisations. Each semester we do a performance for family and friends. I try to take the students where they are and encourage them to grow and stretch themselves from there. We work on being a good audience, as well as the basics of acting and theater. What I want them to take from this experience is much more confidence in themselves, a keener eye for observing the world around them, and a deepened respect for the art of acting.