teacher narrative  

I am an experienced educator who supports students in using the tools of the humanities to understand the world around them. I hold an M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with secondary licensure in Communication Arts & Literature and EAL. I hope to work in secondary English Language Arts, Humanities, or EAL positions in innovative schools that recognize adolescence as a special time in a child’s life. I am deeply curious about what makes schools meaningful for young people.

During my time in Madison, I was fortunate to experience a wide variety of school settings, from a small, Democratic private school to an alternative and a more traditional urban high school. I learned from educators dedicated to understanding students and designing curriculum to meet their needs. I was part of an English Methods cohort with a focus on engaged literacy, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, and Restorative Social Justice practices under the guidance of Dr. Maisha Winn. We were challenged to view our teaching as a creative process within the larger contexts of society, requiring continuous reflection and response.

My student teaching and graduate studies allowed me to investigate educational ideas such as Nel Noddings' concept of “care” and Maria Montessori’s study of child development. My teaching career reflects this exploration of how different settings and approaches impact students. 

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I began my unofficial teaching career as an ESL teacher in China after completing my undergraduate degree. I then served as an AmeriCorps volunteer at In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre in Minneapolis, working with young people in and out of schools. After that, I spent two years as a Special Education Paraprofessional in a large suburban high school. working in a federal setting three classroom with a veteran teacher. Years later, I returned to China, where I worked as a substitute teacher in a large international school, which reminded me of the joy of working with young people. This is when I decided to return to school to pursue a career in teaching.

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I began my official teaching career in a diverse grades 6-12 school with a large English Learner population, building community with students who’d never left the local area and those who’d lived in many countries and spent their early childhood in refugee camps.

I was next a “Guide” in a Montessori environment, experiencing very different schedules and uses of space. I was trusted to create original lessons addressing issues such as migration, technology, and the connection between language and power. I participated in “key experiences” with students, traveling and camping for eight days by bus, supporting J-Term theatrical productions, and assisting a 5-day cycling and camping trip, helping students flex a wide variety of skills and shine in different ways than they did in the classroom setting. I also served on the Personnel Committee, helped with scheduling, and designed an advisory curriculum. 

My teaching journey next brought me to a larger public middle school with yet another set of demographics and a more typical school model. Finding my way in varied settings hones my understanding of what it means to be a teacher. During this time, I experienced a teacher strike, which ended as we moved into pandemic teaching mode. While no one would say that this was a glorious time to be a teacher, it fundamentally changed how I think about schooling, pacing, and making work accessible to students.

During the pandemic, I returned to the international school setting, first in Vietnam, and now in China, bringing new cross-cultural challenges and discoveries. I know my teaching journey will continue to evolve, and I will continue to learn and grow.

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I am dedicated to education as a site of possibility, creativity, and growth for students and teachers.