What excites you most about working at Dublin? The school provides an environment with tremendous opportunities for students to expand and develop their own personal potential and establish a foundation for interesting and satisfying lives beyond Dublin. This is accomplished largely through the combined efforts of hard-working and interesting faculty, staff, and administrators, which is further complimented by the natural setting in the small town with a rich cultural history and much natural beauty of its own. I love the opportunity for rich possibility, and especially that I can be a part of helping students with a history of some academic challenges learn how to better access and enjoy their educational process. Major differences are notable in how well we know our students and how quickly we can try a new strategy with a student when needed.

Why do you teach and what do you love about your discipline? I have long been interested in individual learning styles and how our brains function. Education is a key factor in a satisfying life. The lack of access to an adequate education, particularly for girls and women, has an enormously negative impact on cultures throughout the world. I love that I can teach our students how to better access the tools to enhance their own learning, while enthusiastically imparting a sense of inquiry, possibility, and appreciation for the true value of their education.

What do you do outside of school that enhances your teaching? Or, what do you do outside of school that would surprise your students? I love to learn about other people and different cultures. Everyone has a unique history, yet there are universal human themes. Reading, traveling, and meeting new people are favorite ways that I can fulfill this ongoing interest.

What do you do to push kids outside their comfort zone in the classroom?  I think it's important to establish a culture where people feel that it is safe to try new activities, something that Dublin School does exceedingly well. Establishing a classroom environment where my students can expect a collaborative rapport, positive reinforcement, and access to the necessary practical tools makes taking academic risks a more natural progression. Personally demonstrating patience, humor, resilience, and the ability to make errors and learn from them are key factors in getting students to go beyond their own comfort zones.

How do you teach to "the range", both the high achievers and those that are challenged by your discipline? As I typically tutor one student at a time, I can tailor my approach to each student's individual learning style. However, in my collaboration with our faculty, I encourage them to adopt a number of methods that will actually be beneficial to most learners in their classes. For example, incorporating consistent classroom structure and routine, utilizing multi-sensory teaching approaches, and posting assignments online are beneficial to all students. Our faculty members are knowledgeable that certain students in their classes will need additional specific accommodations, which we arrange to incorporate into the structure of the course to best fit the student and class requirements. For example, a teacher may arrange to have peer notes supplied or provide subtle cues to help refocus a student's attention.

What is the most surprising thing that happened in your classroom? During Spirit Week one year, my son kidnapped my office mascot (a large cardboard squirrel enthusiastically garbed in my team's color), while swearing my student to secrecy. He then changed the rodent's shirt to his team's color and had it "peek" tauntingly into classroom doorways, including mine, during afternoon classes. However, it did not take long to guess who was the most likely culprit behind the squirrel's abduction during that high-spirited week!

Why is it fun to be in your classroom? I try to combine the practical obligations of completing academics with enthusiasm, humor, and a genuine interest in each of my students. Sharing additional enriching material that resonates with individual student interests can increase the appeal of the topic for them. Switching roles and having the student teach me something can be an enjoyable way to explore differences in learning styles and make them feel more comfortable. Incorporating movement during a discussion, be it a game of floor hockey in the gym or a walk by nearby Dublin Lake, may allow ideas for a project to flow more freely than in the classroom. We are fortunate to have the flexibility to improvise in this manner.

Why did you choose Dublin School? As a resident of the pastoral town of Dublin with a long involvement in teaching and advocacy for students with learning differences, I had an interest in working with students locally. I hoped that I could make a positive difference in many young peoples' lives. Dublin School also provided the opportunity for my children to attend the school, an especially appealing factor to my family. I liked the values espoused by the school, with the emphasis on educating the whole person by developing the mind and the body, while promoting healthy social interactions within the school and surrounding community.