I have been teaching at Curie Elementary for 18 years. I was fortunate enough to do my student teaching here, and my good luck continued when I was hired at Curie to be a fifth grade teacher. I loved teaching fifth grade, but I also wanted to try something new after teaching the same grade for many years. The opportunity presented itself when a teacher retired. I requested a change and I taught 3rd grade for 10 years. My next challenge was teaching a 3/4 combination class. The following year the chance to try a new grade presented itself when our beloved, Ms. Harris, retired. So, I decided to embark on a new adventure in second grade! I like to try new things each year and I am always impressed at how bright and insightful students are at this young age. I enjoy my job-no two days are ever the same! I love the creative and rewarding aspects of teaching.
When I'm not teaching I am spending time with my husband,Rob, and our two dogs, Molly and Vincent (Vinny). They are adorable,rambunctious,and very spoiled. Rob is a commercial diver for a company that contracts with the Navy. Most of my family lives on the East Coast. They are scattered throughout Maine, New York, Masachussetts and Connetticut. Rob's family lives in Arizona. Because we have very few family members nearby, we spend our time with our friends just enjoying the fact that we live in beautiful San Diego.
My journey to be a teacher has been... atypical. I received my degree in Anthropology. I decided shortly thereafter to pursue an entirely different career- one in which I worked with wild animals. I was thrilled to get an exciting job at the San Diego Wild Animal Park working as an animal trainer and host of the Rare and Wild Animals of North America Show. That job led to another job at the San Diego Zoo. At the zoo I worked for the Education Department. It is during this time that I got the teacher bug. That is when I decided that I really enjoyed teaching, and I wanted to pursue it further.
With each passing year, I feel fortunate that I have a career that is challenging as well as rewarding. Curie has a strong community of educators and families that work together to provide a rigorous and engaging academic atmosphere. I am grateful to be a part of the Curie Family.