I first came to know Haddonfield Friends School when my children, Evan and Madeline, spent their early years here. It is a privilege to join the HFS community as a teacher. I am particularly interested in helping students understand that their words have the power to capture and convey beauty, call attention to injustice, and create change. I want them to read critically, expansively, and voraciously. I want them to fall in love with poetry and discover that there are poems-in-waiting everywhere they look. I want them to approach informational text expecting to be surprised by something and to question bias, the author’s and their own. Whether as a writer or an historian, I urge students to pay attention to and be curious about the wonders of the world and those who inhabit it. 

I cherish spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy hiking, cooking, traveling, reading, and hanging out on my back porch with my dogs. I love trees, cool rocks, art, and dark chocolate.

• Cherry Hill Public Schools: Middle school English Language Arts teacher, Literacy Coach, Reading Specialist, Classroom teacher, grades 1 and 2
• Merchantville School District: Grade 3
• Camden County Community College: English Composition, Reading and Writing Academic Skills

• The Barnes Foundation, School Group Guide
• Geraldine Dodge Fellow with Green Belt Movement, Kenya
• Grounds for Sculpture, Museum Educator

• Rowan University: M.A. Reading Instruction, Reading Specialist Certificate
• Gettysburg College: B.A. English Literature
• The College of New Jersey: Elementary Education Certificate
• Drexel University: Wilson Reading Certificate
• Teachers College, Columbia University: Reading and Writing Institute
• University of Pennsylvania: Penn Literacy Network 

I love teaching math and science at HFS.  I find the two disciplines are interwoven and expose my students to their similarities and connections to the real world.  I inherited the love of science and math from both of my parents. My father, who is a physician, taught me the love of science and my mother, an English and History professor, taught me the passion for teaching. It’s a win-win to me. After taking studies in a Doctorate of Pharmacy program, I knew that I wanted to share my passion/love of these subject areas by teaching and inspiring young minds to these disciplines. My ultimate reward is seeing my graduated HFS students come back to visit and express how I ignited their fire/flame to pursue degrees in the areas of math, science, as well as engineering.

I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends, which includes cooking, exercising, and traveling. I enjoy spending my summers down the shore in Margate, NJ where I spend Zen time with my family and my Corgi dog, Skip. I absolutely love the Jersey shore; nothing compares to sitting on the beach and soaking up the salt air and tranquility of the ocean. My other favorite hobby/interest is fashion…I love being a personal shopper, especially for my nieces who I dress from head to toe. I’m also a lover of the arts and theater.  Any activity that involves helping and spending quality time with others, especially children and animals, is a reward in itself!

• Haddonfield Friends School, 2008 to present
• Kingston Elementary School, long-term substitute
• A. Russell Knight Elementary School, long-term substitute

• ESL Certification
• Minors in Italian Studies, Women’s Studies, Religion, and Science
• Tutor for Italian Studies and Mathematics for children and adults
• Real Estate Licensing

• Rutgers University: Teachers Preparation Program/Certification
• University of the Sciences: Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Marketing Program
• Rosemont College: B.A. Humanities

I am thrilled and honored to join the Haddonfield Friends School as a Middle School Humanities teacher! I cherish the opportunity to teach and share my passions in a community like HFS that nurtures the mind, body, and soul of its students. Young people possess a spirit of honesty, a joyous sense of wonder, and the courage to conquer challenges that inspires me everyday. A lover of history and literature, I delight in investigating the roots, legends, and mysteries behind world civilizations and encourage young learners to become students of the world. Studying Jazz Percussion, English, and Film in New Orleans, LA, I soaked up the vibrant and diverse cultural traditions the city has to offer. Upon returning to my native Princeton, my teaching journey began and I quickly realized it was my vocation to not only teach, but to learn from the next generations of students. It is in the spirit of open, informed, honest, compassionate communication where my passion and commitment to teaching resides. My students will learn how to become stronger communicators, listeners, and problem-solvers by exploring the beauty, possibility, and value of the spoken and written word. When I am not teaching, you will find me collecting and listening to vintage records at the Princeton Record Exchange, biking and hiking, or hanging out with close friends!

• Middle School Language Arts Instructor at Art of Problem Solving Academy
• Lower School Technologist at Chapin School
• Lower, Middle, and Upper School Substitute teacher at Chapin School, the Hun School, Princeton Junior School
• Private Writing and Reading Tutor

• Co-founder of Princeton Music Lessons
• JustArt Theatrical Productions Creative Collaborator
  

• B.A. in English cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans
  

As an educator, I have great passion for lifelong learning and a determination to ensure that my students perform to the best of their ability. To engage and to involve greater participation in my lessons, I incorporate various teaching strategies such as collaborative work, projects and presentations. I believe students learn best when learning experiences are hands-on, experiential and meaningful to them. 

During my free time, I enjoy exploring new places of interest, traveling and hiking with my husband and daughter. In addition, I enjoy quilting, beading and doing Folk Art.

• Revo Academy:  School for the Gifted Education, Thousand Oaks, California, Homeroom Teacher (Grade 4/5), 2016
• Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School, Singapore, Lead Teacher/Form Teacher (Grade 1 – 6), 17 years
• Additional Roles: Subject Head for Social Studies, Health Education Coordinator, Grade 5 Level Manager, Chief Editor, Camp Commandant, CCA Teacher, Professional Learning Teams Project Coordinator.

• CA Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential.
• University of Michigan (Ann Arbor): MA in Educational Studies on Curriculum Development and Evaluation, Certificate in Teaching ESL Internationally.
• Open University, Milton Keyes, UK: BA in English Language and Literature.
• Nanyang Technological University, Singapore: Diploma in Education specializing in English Language, Singapore Math and Social Studies.

After graduating college, I completed my student teaching in Melbourne, Australia as a part of my Masters’ coursework. I enjoyed the experience so much, I decided to teach abroad for several years, living in both China and Singapore. I learned new languages, new sports and traveled extensively, developing a better understanding of other cultures and the world around me, while making new friends in the process. I now consider many places “home”. After several years abroad, I returned to the States to go back to school. Since moving back, I’ve lived in NYC and CT, and recently returned to NJ, where I grew up, to be closer to family.

In my spare time, I love to read, explore new places and spend time with family, including my son, who keeps me busy.

• Whitby School, Greenwich, CT: Grades 5-7 English
• Say Yes to Education, NYC: Small group instructor, Grades 4 and 5
• Canadian International School in Singapore: Elementary teacher, Grade 3
• American International School of Guangzhou, China: Elementary teacher, Grades 3 and 4

• International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program Coordinator
• International Baccalaureate Educator Network Site Visitor
• International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program Senior Reviewer for Building Quality Curriculum
• Curriculum and Grade level team leader
• International Student Advisor for graduate programs, Kaplan International

• Teachers College, Columbia University: Ed.M. International Educational Development, Educational Policy focus
• George Mason University: M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction
• James Madison University: B.S. Communication Sciences and Disorders