I have been teaching in LAUSD for 23 years this July. I am dedicated to becoming a better teacher each day, which means refining technique, but also consistently adding to my content knowledge. Every class is new, every class is unique, and so this job doesn't get old. I love teaching novels to my fourth and fifth grade students because they become so wrapped up in story. Teaching writing and grammar is one of my joys. Children react positively to the structure of grammar lessons, and inspired writing comes from the most unexpected places. I have created an imaginary cast of characters -- Socko the Giraffe who is always hatching an escape plan, Oswald the earnest student, his pal Ziggy owner of Miss Bertha the Prizewinning Cat, Jelly, their art thief nemesis, a trio of snakes (Mr. Wiggles, Ms. Rattle and Mx. Stripes), and Bubbles the Glam Rat, who all make learning conjunctions awesome!Because I teach fifth grade, my students matriculate at middle school the following year. I want them to be prepared to go anywhere in the city, not just to our two local middle schools, and it's with that in mind that I push them, cajole them, and celebrate with them every step forward. I am proud to be a partner (informally) of USC-NAI, a fantastic seven year college prep program for underserved students. If parents didn't go to college, are unfamiliar with the joys of deadlines and complex applications, if they don't speak English or know a single person who went to college, this program sets their beloved children on a challenging and focused course at an early stage. I coordinate applications, edit personal statements, make last minute phone calls, and make sure everyone knows how to access people, programs, and applications. It's the best thing I have done in my tenure in LAUSD (besides creating the cranky Socko and the hapless zookeeper).I practice yoga daily, and am looking forward to starting yoga teacher training in the fall of 2023. I have one rescue Shepherd, Hazel, and two rescue cats, one a Turkish Van named Marty, and the other a spicy tortoiseshell kitten named Dolores. I like to read a lot, from true crime to the writings and homilies of St. Oscar Romero.