Professional Interests  
 

     
 
As of June 2007 I have taken a break from classroom teaching to pursue other interests in education. While I enjoy working with students on a grand scale I feel that students thrive in both individualized and small group settings. In addition, I feel it is necessary to expose students to learning in an outdoor environment enhancing their critical thinking skills. As such, I am building a career in tutoring and outdoor education providing me the opportunity to work with students in a smaller instructional setting as well as to teach outdoors.

Personal Interests

I have found that my active lifestyle and my thirst for knowledge has given me the means to relate to several of my students. I enjoy playing outdoors and participate in a multitude of activities both on land and in water. I love to surf, free/SCUBA dive, and sea kayak. One can also find me climbing a rock or an icy waterfall or a mountain as well as find me exploring the back country. During the winters I spend a lot of my free time alpine skiing and snow boarding. When I am not physically active I am usually reading a book, reading a scientific publication, or writing poetry. All in all, I am a big kid at heart that is simply curious about the natural world. My experiences have served me well in education in that I can often find a way to relate the content standards to the student's prior knowledge.

Professional Background

  • Freelance
    Tutor/Home School Teacher/Enrichment Camps (2007-present)

  • Los Angeles County Fire Department
    Ocean Lifeguard Recurrent (1997-present)
    Youth Programs Instructor (2003-present)

  • National Outdoor Leadership School
    Field Instructor (2008-present)

  • Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort
    Alpine Ski Instructor (2007-present)

  • Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
    Science Teacher (2000-2007)
    Substitute Teacher (2007-present)

  • Mammoth Unified School District
    Substitute Teacher (December 2007-present)

  • Adventures Cross-Country
    Multi-Sport Leader (Summer 2007)

** See Qualifications page for more details.


Educational Background

  • California State University Northridge
    Clear Single Subject Credential in Biological Sciences with CLAD Emphasis

  • University of Southern California
    Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences (emphasized in the Marine Sciences)

** See Qualifications page for more details.