My Pedagogy

I am an experienced history educator. I have taught all history courses, seven through twelve, in a variety of classroom settings, in communities of all socio-economic levels and cultural backgrounds. I have endeavored for students to see their place in our larger American history, to promote civic engagement in our democracy. This diversity of teaching experience has allowed me to become adaptable. While the challenges in each community differ, students respond positively to being treated with fundamental fairness and having a voice in class.

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Now, a legacy of the CoVID-19 pandemic is the real trauma many kids faced. Moving forward, ensuring social emotional wellness is key to learning, as is promoting equity and inclusion to build empathy among students of all backgrounds.

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Over the years, students and parents have reached out about how uplifted they felt by my classes. One, now a teacher, wrote to appreciate the respectful way he experienced discourse from a variety political leanings. Another student wrote to express how her interest in history was sparked, now recognizing the importance of our social contract and current events. Parents wrote in gratitude of how their student was validated to continue asking questions to understand the world.

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I value the opportunity to teach in historic Southern California communities. As a master teacher of 31 years I bring focus on understanding history by making it relevant to students’ lives.