I am an educational anthropologist and certified early childhood and elementary school teacher passionate about child development, technology, civic engagement, and social justice in all forms. I currently teach on the Primary School Faculty at Montclair Kimberley Academy in Essex County, NJ. I am also a Ph.D. Candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University. My academic research is focused on the intersection of contemporary childhood, emergent digital technologies, civic engagement, and multicultural education. My ethnographic dissertation is in partnership with Clifton Public Schools in Passaic County, New Jersey.
Prior to my current faculty position, I taught across various settings in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, including public, charter, private, and international schools in Washington, DC, Baltimore, New York City, Shanghai, China, and, most recently, Montclair, New Jersey. I've worked as a classroom teacher for innovative schools, including Rita Gold Center for Early Childhood Education, Shanghai American School, Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School, and Capital City Public Charter School. This breadth of experience has allowed me to explore various progressive and constructivist educational approaches, including bilingual instruction, environmental sustainability, positive social and emotional frameworks, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and the Reggio Emilia Approach.
I earned a B.A. in American Studies from Georgetown University, an M.A. in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and an M.Phil in Anthropology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. I grew up in California, spent my young adulthood in Washington, DC, with various stints abroad, and have now settled along the Watchung Mountains in New Jersey, where I am raising my two young sons, with many trips to the Shore.
Prior to my current faculty position, I taught across various settings in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, including public, charter, private, and international schools in Washington, DC, Baltimore, New York City, Shanghai, China, and, most recently, Montclair, New Jersey. I've worked as a classroom teacher for innovative schools, including Rita Gold Center for Early Childhood Education, Shanghai American School, Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School, and Capital City Public Charter School. This breadth of experience has allowed me to explore various progressive and constructivist educational approaches, including bilingual instruction, environmental sustainability, positive social and emotional frameworks, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and the Reggio Emilia Approach.
I earned a B.A. in American Studies from Georgetown University, an M.A. in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University, and an M.Phil in Anthropology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. I grew up in California, spent my young adulthood in Washington, DC, with various stints abroad, and have now settled along the Watchung Mountains in New Jersey, where I am raising my two young sons, with many trips to the Shore.