|
|
Born in Berkeley more years than I care to remember, I am a fourth
generation Californian and the oldest of five children. Currently, I am
close to all of my siblings who reside in the Bay Area with their
families. I am an aunt to sixteen nieces and nephews. One of my
grandmothers, 98, is still active. My husband and I have a twenty-one
year-old son, and my husband has two sons from a previous marriage. For more than
half my life I have lived in my home that borders the Redwood Regional
Park in the Oakland Hills. One of my stepsons lives next door with his wife and two wonderful children.
I have had a variety of jobs, from the mundane to the sublime. While in
Michigan, I owned a weaving and jewelry shop. When I returned to
California, I worked for my father as a photo assistant. The other side of
the camera became very appealing as I learned to prepare food for photo
shoots, as a food stylist. I left this position after my son's
birth, pursuing another career: teaching. This is my twentieth year
teaching, the thirteenth teaching and learning with third graders. Eight
and nine year-olds are magical. They are still very sweet; they can really
work; and they get your jokes. Presently, we are raising monarch
caterpillars and studying seeds. Through the web design course, I hope to
communicate more effectively with my parents and inspire even more
curiosity in my students.
|
|
I have a variety of passions and interests. I
am committed to the environment. As a Master Composter through Alameda
County Waste Management I teach people how to do “vermicomposting”,
or worm composting. Once a month, I volunteer at Coyote Hills' Butterfly
Garden. I am learning to be a gardener and am committed to native plants. I love
hiking and spend time hiking in many of the East Bay Regional Parks. I
belong to East Bay Heritage Quilters and sew, piece, applique,
embroider, basket weave, create dolls, spin wool, and do anything that
has to do with textiles and fiber. I love to create things. Since I have
known five of my great-grandparents at age sixteen years old, I am very
interested in genealogy and family stories. My husband and I enjoy
traveling and learning about other cultures. I enjoy sharing these passions with my students.
One favorite quotation (Mark Twain 1879): “Twenty years from now
you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the
things you did. So throw off the bowlines. Explore. Dream.
Discover.”. I want my students to become lifelong learners. |
