When did you start teaching?
After completing my student teaching at Perspectives Charter School in the Fall of 2001, I started teaching full-time at Hirsch Metro School of Communications on Chicago's South Side. I then worked at the Academy of Communications and Technology in West Garfield Park.
I have been been a member of the ChiArts Family since the spring of 2009, and I'm honored to be one of the founding teachers.
Where did you go to school? What did you study?
I attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison (Go Badgers!), where I double-majored in English and Philosophy.
Actually, the double-major was an accident. When I met with my advisor at the end of my junior year, she reviewed my transcript and noted that I had nearly all the philosophy classes I needed to receive a second degree, except for the three classes required for the degree.
I have also completed coursework and earned a Master's of Education from DePaul University and a Master's of Industrial Relations from Loyola University Chicago. In 2007, I achieved National Board Certification.
What made you want to go into education and become a teacher?
I have always loved to read and write. The library was one of my favorite places as a kid. Call me a nerd--I'm okay with that. I saw teaching as a way for me to continue doing what I love to do.
Why have you remained in education?
In a word, the students. I became a teacher to share my passion for words. My students' energy and enthusiasm for learning inspires me to keep doing what I'm doing. I am always working to build an inclusive community where every student's voice is heard and respected.
What do you when you're not teaching?
While teaching is a huge part of my life, my other interests include writing and creating art, and I'm currently working on a project incorporating poetry, prose, and visual art in an exploration of dreams.
I was a competitive swimmer for over ten years. Though I do not compete anymore, I still love to swim in oceans, lakes, and an occasional pool. You will find me running through all kinds of weather, even in winter. I love to be outside, and I enjoy camping. You will hear me say that's what I love about summer--"being in a state of perpetual camping." Though when the weather is formidable (remember Snowpocalypse in February 2011), I prefer to practice yoga. I have been practicing yoga for twelve years, which has transformed my health and my outlook on life.
My spouse and I love to travel. We've been fortunate to visit friends in Barcelona, Prague, and Hawaii. I've been to South Africa, Jordan, and twice to Mexico. In the summer, we are often camping in Wisconsin. Our favorite book and resource--
The Best in Tent Camping: Wisconsin -- A Guide for Campers who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Portable Stereos
http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Tent-Camping-Wisconsin/dp/0897326164
I heard that you know Ms. Bradshaw, our Visual Arts Department Head.
It's true. We first met when friends gathered in New Orleans in 1993, and we've been friends ever since. I remember I was lying on the couch reading Alice Walker's new novel Possessing the Secret of Joy, and she said that she had just read the book and loved it. (It all comes back to books.)
In the fall of 1994, I was in an apartment fire, the cause of the scars on my shoulders and arms. It took me over a year to recover physically. Ms. Bradshaw visited me in the hospital when I was finally out of ICU and allowed to have visitors. Five years later, as she was completing her M.F.A. at Columbia College, she asked to photograph me for her thesis project.
When I attended the show and saw the photographs, it transformed the way I saw my scars. No longer a deformity, a new truth emerges: scars are a work of art.
After completing my student teaching at Perspectives Charter School in the Fall of 2001, I started teaching full-time at Hirsch Metro School of Communications on Chicago's South Side. I then worked at the Academy of Communications and Technology in West Garfield Park.
I have been been a member of the ChiArts Family since the spring of 2009, and I'm honored to be one of the founding teachers.
Where did you go to school? What did you study?
I attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison (Go Badgers!), where I double-majored in English and Philosophy.
Actually, the double-major was an accident. When I met with my advisor at the end of my junior year, she reviewed my transcript and noted that I had nearly all the philosophy classes I needed to receive a second degree, except for the three classes required for the degree.
I have also completed coursework and earned a Master's of Education from DePaul University and a Master's of Industrial Relations from Loyola University Chicago. In 2007, I achieved National Board Certification.
What made you want to go into education and become a teacher?
I have always loved to read and write. The library was one of my favorite places as a kid. Call me a nerd--I'm okay with that. I saw teaching as a way for me to continue doing what I love to do.
Why have you remained in education?
In a word, the students. I became a teacher to share my passion for words. My students' energy and enthusiasm for learning inspires me to keep doing what I'm doing. I am always working to build an inclusive community where every student's voice is heard and respected.
What do you when you're not teaching?
While teaching is a huge part of my life, my other interests include writing and creating art, and I'm currently working on a project incorporating poetry, prose, and visual art in an exploration of dreams.
I was a competitive swimmer for over ten years. Though I do not compete anymore, I still love to swim in oceans, lakes, and an occasional pool. You will find me running through all kinds of weather, even in winter. I love to be outside, and I enjoy camping. You will hear me say that's what I love about summer--"being in a state of perpetual camping." Though when the weather is formidable (remember Snowpocalypse in February 2011), I prefer to practice yoga. I have been practicing yoga for twelve years, which has transformed my health and my outlook on life.
My spouse and I love to travel. We've been fortunate to visit friends in Barcelona, Prague, and Hawaii. I've been to South Africa, Jordan, and twice to Mexico. In the summer, we are often camping in Wisconsin. Our favorite book and resource--
The Best in Tent Camping: Wisconsin -- A Guide for Campers who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Portable Stereos
http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Tent-Camping-Wisconsin/dp/0897326164
I heard that you know Ms. Bradshaw, our Visual Arts Department Head.
It's true. We first met when friends gathered in New Orleans in 1993, and we've been friends ever since. I remember I was lying on the couch reading Alice Walker's new novel Possessing the Secret of Joy, and she said that she had just read the book and loved it. (It all comes back to books.)
In the fall of 1994, I was in an apartment fire, the cause of the scars on my shoulders and arms. It took me over a year to recover physically. Ms. Bradshaw visited me in the hospital when I was finally out of ICU and allowed to have visitors. Five years later, as she was completing her M.F.A. at Columbia College, she asked to photograph me for her thesis project.
When I attended the show and saw the photographs, it transformed the way I saw my scars. No longer a deformity, a new truth emerges: scars are a work of art.