I grew up in Southeast Alaska in the city of Ketchikan, which has a population right around 14,000. It’s definitely the kind of place where you can’t go anywhere without running into several people you know well. In fact, the first time my husband visited my hometown it took all of one trip into town and a stop at the video store to run into nearly all of my past boyfriends. Growing up on an island has its limitations, but as a child, the rewards far outweigh them.
I spent my childhood outdoors—climbing trees, picking berries, building forts and playing on the beach. I remember a couple of epic snowball fights as well. We didn’t need much in the way of things since so much of our joy came from the land and making our own fun.
I was also lucky enough to have amazing teachers who took an interest in me. They let me come early and stay late in the classroom while my single mom worked long hours. I busied myself with organizing bookshelves and crayon bins and helping the teacher set up. My kindergarten teacher was beautiful, full of energy and fun. I loved the stories she read aloud and all the different games we would play. It made an impression on me, and school was always a happy place for me. I think because of that, I knew from a very early age that I wanted to teach.
Determined to stay on the West Coast (not too far from the Pacific Ocean) I made the trek to Stanford University and spent four incredible years learning and growing along with some truly amazing individuals. I continued to pursue my passion for education during college. I volunteered and enjoyed tutoring elementary students who struggled to get on grade level. After graduation, I joined Teach For America, and for the first time I set up my own classroom.
Although challenging, I fell in love with teaching. Each morning I had twenty plus faces staring up at me, wondering what the day would hold for them. I valued the time we had together, and I made it my goal to do what I could to help my students realize their potential. During my first year, I had a young student who lived with his grandmother. He was up against quite a few learning challenges brought on from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Although he was in the second grade, he couldn’t read and he struggled with simple math. I spent most days after school working one-on-one with him. I can actually still feel the joy I saw on his face when he first read on his own. That was such a cool moment.
There’s something about watching a child’s confidence grow when they finally grasp what they’ve been working on. It’s a feeling you want to harness as you help them develop skills that will make a difference in their daily life.
Right now, I’m learning a ton being on the other side of the conference table. I have three awesome kids who keep me busier than I ever would have imagined. I strive to provide them with a childhood that is mostly unplugged and filled with as much love and laughter as possible.
I also enjoy being an Ambassador for Barefoot Books, a small independent children’s book publishing company. Barefoot Books allows me to share our family’s love for literacy while involving my kids in a fun and rewarding business.
I look forward to learning and sharing along with the Model Behaviors community!