My Story...
Hello, and welcome to my website and portfolio.
I am a teacher and a librarian, whose dedication to learning and language began around 2001 when I graduated from Emerson College with a degree in film and went on to teach outdoor education.
Working at Nature’s Classroom solidified my love for students and education. It was amazing to see students succeed and often, students who were considered “troublemakers” in their typical classroom environment thrived with the hands-on learning at Nature’s Classroom.
I began teaching English at South Portland High School in 2004, where I taught a diverse population of students for five years. From honours students to reluctant readers, valedictorians to at risk teens, I learned how to differentiate instruction and listen to students’ needs in order to guide them in their success.
At the time, I was leading high school volunteer programs throughout the summer. From Iceland to Costa Rica to Fiji, these students grew and learned so much, as did I. Similar to Nature’s Classroom, I again saw how quickly it is possible to grow and learn in a new culture. It’s challenging and inspiring and thought provoking, and I knew that I needed to explore that option further.
Come September, I packed my bags and moved to Shanghai, China. There, I taught English to Chinese students ranging in age from four to eighteen at English First, an international program that focused on language development in an after-school and weekend program. I also met my Australian (now) husband, who brought me to Sydney, Australia for his studies. I taught English and history to Year 6 and 7 at Moriah College both for Gifted and Talented classes and to mainstream classes. I was a debate coach, and an outdoor trip supervisor. My favorite part of the week was co-teaching lessons with the school librarian. I loved sharing books, book trailers and information retrieval techniques. I also loved seeing students talk about their favorite books and seeing reluctant readers engrossed a book, just when they thought it wasn’t possible! When that position ended, I knew I had to sign up for a masters program in Library and Information Science.
I spent the year studying full time in a distance education program at Texas Woman’s University. Not only did I learn about library science, but I also learned about how to teach using digital resources, since that was how my program was run.
That year, I was also working with Al Zahra College developing their new media and film curriculum and helping plan their state-of-the-art media center. As a growing International Baccalaureate School, I had to align standards both to the NSW Board of Studies curriculum and to the IB standards and learning objectives. The following year I was able to teach the curriculum that I spent the prior year designing. What a gift! But I wanted to be a librarian full time...
I moved on to be the librarian and e-learning coordinator at Nagle College, a small independent girls school in Blacktown, NSW (Australia). I was the sol-librarian there and was wonderful. I managed a team of two library assistants and two technology specialists, and I learned what it was like to create a space that worked and to see plans come to fruition on a daily basis. Google Apps became my new virtual home and I created a revamped Nagle Library website, which was used daily by both students and staff. If it weren't for the birth of our two tiny children, I would have loved to stay. However, we knew that it was time to resettle, move closer to our family and come home to Maine.
My husband and I have traveled to all of the Australian states and territories with a tent and our CR-V. In the summers, we explore. My travels have taken me to India, China, Ecuador, Iceland, Alaska, Oman and Nepal and more. I’ve been to 52 countries and all 50 US States. I like to think that this has enabled me to collect resources with perspective and converse with staff and students.
Now, we are all settled in South Portland, Maine. I am the librarian at Portland High School, and I love it. I am proud of the work I have done, expanding our collection to include more ELL and language resources, culling and reworking the non-fiction resources and (of course) teaching and co-teaching lessons on a regular basis. I have only been here for a year, but I feel like I have accomplished a great It is my greatest hope to continue my pursuits of libraries and learning in South Portland while enjoying the global community that is all around us.
I am a teacher and a librarian, whose dedication to learning and language began around 2001 when I graduated from Emerson College with a degree in film and went on to teach outdoor education.
Working at Nature’s Classroom solidified my love for students and education. It was amazing to see students succeed and often, students who were considered “troublemakers” in their typical classroom environment thrived with the hands-on learning at Nature’s Classroom.
I began teaching English at South Portland High School in 2004, where I taught a diverse population of students for five years. From honours students to reluctant readers, valedictorians to at risk teens, I learned how to differentiate instruction and listen to students’ needs in order to guide them in their success.
At the time, I was leading high school volunteer programs throughout the summer. From Iceland to Costa Rica to Fiji, these students grew and learned so much, as did I. Similar to Nature’s Classroom, I again saw how quickly it is possible to grow and learn in a new culture. It’s challenging and inspiring and thought provoking, and I knew that I needed to explore that option further.
Come September, I packed my bags and moved to Shanghai, China. There, I taught English to Chinese students ranging in age from four to eighteen at English First, an international program that focused on language development in an after-school and weekend program. I also met my Australian (now) husband, who brought me to Sydney, Australia for his studies. I taught English and history to Year 6 and 7 at Moriah College both for Gifted and Talented classes and to mainstream classes. I was a debate coach, and an outdoor trip supervisor. My favorite part of the week was co-teaching lessons with the school librarian. I loved sharing books, book trailers and information retrieval techniques. I also loved seeing students talk about their favorite books and seeing reluctant readers engrossed a book, just when they thought it wasn’t possible! When that position ended, I knew I had to sign up for a masters program in Library and Information Science.
I spent the year studying full time in a distance education program at Texas Woman’s University. Not only did I learn about library science, but I also learned about how to teach using digital resources, since that was how my program was run.
That year, I was also working with Al Zahra College developing their new media and film curriculum and helping plan their state-of-the-art media center. As a growing International Baccalaureate School, I had to align standards both to the NSW Board of Studies curriculum and to the IB standards and learning objectives. The following year I was able to teach the curriculum that I spent the prior year designing. What a gift! But I wanted to be a librarian full time...
I moved on to be the librarian and e-learning coordinator at Nagle College, a small independent girls school in Blacktown, NSW (Australia). I was the sol-librarian there and was wonderful. I managed a team of two library assistants and two technology specialists, and I learned what it was like to create a space that worked and to see plans come to fruition on a daily basis. Google Apps became my new virtual home and I created a revamped Nagle Library website, which was used daily by both students and staff. If it weren't for the birth of our two tiny children, I would have loved to stay. However, we knew that it was time to resettle, move closer to our family and come home to Maine.
My husband and I have traveled to all of the Australian states and territories with a tent and our CR-V. In the summers, we explore. My travels have taken me to India, China, Ecuador, Iceland, Alaska, Oman and Nepal and more. I’ve been to 52 countries and all 50 US States. I like to think that this has enabled me to collect resources with perspective and converse with staff and students.
Now, we are all settled in South Portland, Maine. I am the librarian at Portland High School, and I love it. I am proud of the work I have done, expanding our collection to include more ELL and language resources, culling and reworking the non-fiction resources and (of course) teaching and co-teaching lessons on a regular basis. I have only been here for a year, but I feel like I have accomplished a great It is my greatest hope to continue my pursuits of libraries and learning in South Portland while enjoying the global community that is all around us.
"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."
-Walt Disney