About Me
I'm a lecturer on social and emotional learning through the arts and teach the arts education teaching sequence for the VAPAE (Visual And Performing Arts Education) program at UCLA. Prior to UCLA, I taught graduate students at Pepperdine seeking their credentials in K-12 to incorporate the arts into other subject areas, while also preparing them to have the tools needed to be successful in the classroom. Prior to Pepperdine, I was an undergraduate and graduate instructor, K-12 student teaching supervisor, and graduate academic advisor for the program in Educational Theatre at NYU. While at NYU, I also helped to run three successful international arts education conferences and our London Study Abroad program. I was honored to receive the prestigious NYU Teaching Excellence Award in 2008.
I'm the fifth through eighth grade Curriculum Coordinator and I provide teacher support school-wide at Westside Neighborhood School (WNS). I also teach eighth grade theatre arts and run the technical theatre program at WNS. For the past 13 years, I was the Director of Visual and Performing Arts, where I received an Eddy Award for being one of Los Angeles' outstanding teachers. As an educator for over twenty years, I've focused on anti-bias education, critical pedagogy, arts education, arts integration, community building, social justice, and social and emotional learning. As a teacher leader, I support others to thrive in their professional and personal lives.
As a theatre teacher at WNS, my students create work that allows them to express themselves while building empathy and collaboration skills. Most of the performances are student-created. By the end of their tenure, eighth graders write, direct, act, and produce their own theatrical and/or digital show and are in charge of all aspects behind the scenes (costumes, make-up, lights, sound, props, scenic projections, management, etc). This year-long project provides the gift of creating something incredible from scratch for an audience.
I've also taught 3rd-6th grades in public and private schools, worked as a K-12 playwriting teaching artist in Title 1 schools, and taught theatre to all ages in various community organizations. I especially enjoyed working with AIDS patients, bringing them joy, laughter, and play in their hospital wing.
I've presented at national and international conferences and provided many workshops for teachers, teaching artists, and docents. I've contributed to a couple books for educators and am currently writing my own book for teachers.
I earned a B.F.A. in performance from the University of Miami, an M.A. in elementary education from the University of South Florida (certified in K-6 elementary education and K-12 theatre in Florida), an Ed.M. in arts in education from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in educational theatre from New York University. I also hold a California single subject credential in Theatre and a multiple subject credential.
I'm the fifth through eighth grade Curriculum Coordinator and I provide teacher support school-wide at Westside Neighborhood School (WNS). I also teach eighth grade theatre arts and run the technical theatre program at WNS. For the past 13 years, I was the Director of Visual and Performing Arts, where I received an Eddy Award for being one of Los Angeles' outstanding teachers. As an educator for over twenty years, I've focused on anti-bias education, critical pedagogy, arts education, arts integration, community building, social justice, and social and emotional learning. As a teacher leader, I support others to thrive in their professional and personal lives.
As a theatre teacher at WNS, my students create work that allows them to express themselves while building empathy and collaboration skills. Most of the performances are student-created. By the end of their tenure, eighth graders write, direct, act, and produce their own theatrical and/or digital show and are in charge of all aspects behind the scenes (costumes, make-up, lights, sound, props, scenic projections, management, etc). This year-long project provides the gift of creating something incredible from scratch for an audience.
I've also taught 3rd-6th grades in public and private schools, worked as a K-12 playwriting teaching artist in Title 1 schools, and taught theatre to all ages in various community organizations. I especially enjoyed working with AIDS patients, bringing them joy, laughter, and play in their hospital wing.
I've presented at national and international conferences and provided many workshops for teachers, teaching artists, and docents. I've contributed to a couple books for educators and am currently writing my own book for teachers.
I earned a B.F.A. in performance from the University of Miami, an M.A. in elementary education from the University of South Florida (certified in K-6 elementary education and K-12 theatre in Florida), an Ed.M. in arts in education from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in educational theatre from New York University. I also hold a California single subject credential in Theatre and a multiple subject credential.
Teaching Philosophy and Diversity Statement
The arts and arts education are a human right.
Everyone deserves to experience, create, and appreciate the arts,
yet the barriers to an arts education in school and beyond school walls are still too high.
It is critical to teach from a culturally responsive and anti-biased lens.
The arts must not only be inclusive of all abilities, viewpoints, and backgrounds,
but must go beyond claiming to be a safe space.
In my classroom, I aim to foster a brave space, where we can take risks,
step beyond our comfort zones, and express our true selves. Where student voices are elevated
and my role as teacher shifts to that of co-learner and facilitator.
A space where every voice counts,
where everyone is seen for who they really are,
where everyone matters,
and where the traditional teacher-student power dynamic is challenged and flipped on its head.
I challenge students to question everything,
consider the many voices still missing and being excluded from 'topics' and 'subjects' we teach,
and investigate all perspectives we can find on any topic.
Everyone deserves to experience, create, and appreciate the arts,
yet the barriers to an arts education in school and beyond school walls are still too high.
It is critical to teach from a culturally responsive and anti-biased lens.
The arts must not only be inclusive of all abilities, viewpoints, and backgrounds,
but must go beyond claiming to be a safe space.
In my classroom, I aim to foster a brave space, where we can take risks,
step beyond our comfort zones, and express our true selves. Where student voices are elevated
and my role as teacher shifts to that of co-learner and facilitator.
A space where every voice counts,
where everyone is seen for who they really are,
where everyone matters,
and where the traditional teacher-student power dynamic is challenged and flipped on its head.
I challenge students to question everything,
consider the many voices still missing and being excluded from 'topics' and 'subjects' we teach,
and investigate all perspectives we can find on any topic.
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