#CHTeacherTuesday

How long have you been a teacher and how long have you been teaching at Campbell Hall?
I have been a teacher for 22 years and I’ve been at CH for 20 years (21 of the 22 years have been as a 5th grade teacher including all of my time at CH).

What courses do you teach? 
I teach 5th grade Math and Science, I have a homeroom (5R), and I do council with the 5th graders. I also have coached girls’ basketball in all three divisions and other sports in the elementary school.

What do you love most about teaching at Campbell Hall?
The best part about teaching at CH is the community. I certainly love being with the students every day and it is true gift that as a 13-year school I get to bear witness to the growth of these kids for more than a decade. I have also truly benefited from getting to know the amazing and wise group parents who have chosen CH as the place to educate their children. Then there are my colleagues who have inspired me, helped me to grow professionally, supported me when things were difficult, and laughed with me when things were hilarious or cried with me when things were too much to bear. I find that the people of the CH community are truly special and I feel so blessed to be a part of it.

What do you love to do outside of school/what are your hobbies?
I love to be with my family when I am outside of school, it happens a lot when I am in school as well. Outside of school I try and a be a big kid every day. I love to ride bikes, skateboards, and snowboards. I love to play sports and follow my sports teams. I am working hard to figure out how to surf well, I love it, but it is a hard thing to learn for a geezer. I pretend to read and I pretend not to love video games. I need to find time to be in the mountains and in the ocean as often as possible.

What is the most rewarding part of your CH day?
The most rewarding thing that I do every day at CH is shake hands with the fifth graders every morning. We get to start our day together as equals and that is truly important to me.

What drew you to teaching?
The thing that drew me to teaching was my family and the great teachers that I had as a kid. Teaching is my family’s business. My mom was a teacher for over fifty years and my dad was a teacher, and then an elementary school principal for decades as well. The people who helped me to be who I am were teachers. Mrs. Hallim taught me to read and convinced me I wasn’t a dummy. Dr. Sease taught me how to think. Quatro taught me to be accountable for what I do and who I am. Coach Ramierez taught me how to work hard and be a leader in sports and in life. Dr. Woodward asked me why I was in her class and set me off into the future. Dr. Norton got me excited to excel at school. Dr. Fox inspired me with wonderful and mysterious information that expanded my view of the world. Above all of these great teachers was my mom. She always believed in me and what I could do. She is my biggest fan -- if you know her you’ll know exactly what I am talking about. She loved me so much and was able to see potential in me that absolutely nobody, including me, was able to see. She was so sure about me that she parlayed my brother’s genius into an amazing educational opportunity that I would have never gotten if she had not been tenacious, unreasonable, and unable to take “no” as an answer.