Teaching
Sharing my knowledge with others creates opportunities for powerful community building and often places me as a learner as well. Curiosity can guide us into healthier relationships and build stronger communities. Below is some of my teaching (and learning!) experience.
Human Development
I teach HD for 9th and 11th grades. In 9th grade, we talk about mental health, the differences between stress, worry, anxiousness, the 'blues', depression, and suicidality. We review coping tools, resources, and students talk about situations they've encountered in their lives.
In 11th grade HD, we talk about financial literacy. Students learn about financial terms and explore how money works. They also begin to develop an understanding of taxes and take on the challenge of exploring how money impacts communities. Social justice themes are woven into discussions.
PolyEnriched Psychology
This is a course I researched and designed and it's centered on the deep exploration of personality psychology. In this course, students spend a semester delving into personality theories, personality tests, the impact of culture on personality formation, create their own personality tests, and finish the semester with a Celebrity Analysis Project. For the CAP, students research and present on a celebrity of their choice and, using the concepts of two personality theorists, analyze the personality of their celebrity. This project has been a favorite of students.
Senior Seminar
With a co-facilitator, we meet weekly for 8-10 weeks in an opt-in seminar for seniors. This takes place in the evenings during their second semester of high school. The small group conversations center around topics like healthy sexuality, relationships, substance use, drinking, leaving home, saying goodbyes, and processing what life after high school will look like. This becomes a special experience for seniors as they begin their process of saying good-bye to high school.