Elk Grove, California, United States
The 2022-2023 school year was my fifth year teaching full time. I am certified to teach in the states of California, Colorado, & New York, and have spent the last four years in Denver Public Schools teaching at DCIS at Montbello. All four years I have been rated as an effective and very effective teacher through the teacher rating system, LEAP. I credit that success to the foundation and relationships I have been able to foster and build with my students and co-workers, as well as the drive and passion I have when it comes to designing and delivering fun, engaging lessons that make my students excited to explore History. I have various degrees in the background of History and Social Studies, including a M.Ed in Adolescent Education (7-12) with a focus on Social Studies Pedagogy, a B.S in History with a focus on United States History (1865-Present), and a B.S in African American/Africana Studies. My reasoning for spending further time in school to acquire my second bachelor’s degree in African American/Africana Studies was to make sure that I was truly aware of the multiple perspectives and narratives that are a part of the complex history of our country. The narratives that are not typically provided in standard history classes, and many times forgotten about when it comes to African-American History & the pursuit of Civil Rights. With that notion in mind, my understanding of history as well as approach to teaching it has been strongly rooted in and taught with an anti racist, culturally responsive lens, My approach in teaching history is to teach Histor(ies). My goal is and always will be to provide students, as well as people in my life with as many perspectives as possible in order for them to think critically and draw their own conclusions.