Why did you decide to become a teacher?
I became a teacher after becoming involved in the educational development of my son with Autism Spectrum Disorder. After 25+ years in the retail industry, my heart was drawn to nurturing the development of students with mathematical concepts. Watching my son in his development, I thought, I want to help students understand the why. I want to help them figure it out on their own.
What is a goal of yours as a teacher?
I just desire to let EVERY student know they are capable. I want to see every student have an “AHA” moment in the classroom.
What is something your students don’t know about you?
A talent hidden from my students would be dance and dance choreography. I use to dream of choreographing videos for famous singers. I memorized all of Janet Jackson’s dance moves to everyone of her music videos when I was growing up.
Is there a quote or saying that you live by?
“Walk with a purpose.” We all have a purpose in life, we should always be headed toward that purpose. Even if you don’t know exactly what the big purpose is, each step of getting there has a reason and is deliberate (intentional). Walk with intention. Walk knowing you are headed somewhere and your goal is to get there. Walk looking where you are going. You can’t walk forward always looking behind you. If you try this for long enough, guaranteed you will bump into something. So walk with a purpose means getting where you are going, head up, looking forward, learning from the past while moving through the present.
If you could take one book on a desert island, what book would it be and why?
I would have to take Jesus CEO on the desert island as well as Of Mice and Men. I don’t know if I could leave Dante’s Inferno or Othello behind.
Riverview/Apollo Beach Teacher of the Month is sponsored by Mathnasium of Riverview
