As a dancer, scholar, ethnographic videographer, community organizer, teacher and choreographer, in each of my endeavors I strive to make connections in ways of thinking and perceiving. The connections between disciplines are what make intellectual pursuits exciting. I have taught for more than ten years for at least 1000 students, and consider it my life calling. In college I studied Philosophy and Anthropology, and received a Masters in Dance and American Popular History. I have performed my choreographic work in three countries, have had my own dance company, and have published academic articles. This will be my fourth year at Khabele and I overseeing the Humanities Curriculum, managing the Independent Learning Program and Senior Projects Program, and teaching Dance. Finally, I plan to lead my second fall project week trip to Brazil so that we can spend a little time floating down the Amazon and dancing until our feet hurt in Brazil.

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I have had a passion for teaching for as long as I can remember. I graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in Business Administration, however most of my free time was spent working with students in economically-challenged areas of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Recently, I have headed community service efforts to contribute to Hurricane Katrina victims, soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, earthquake survivors in Haiti, and local Austinites in need. I love teaching, sports, reading, gardening, cooking meals from scratch, and photography. Most of my extra time is spent with my two dogs, Otis and Tyson, watching the History Channel, or playing soccer and sand volleyball with friends. I am excited to be a part of the Khabele School teaching faculty where they value creativity and dynamic learning environments.

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I graduated from the University of Texas with a master's degree in creative writing. During my time at UT, I wrote my first full-length novel and taught a creative writing workshop in fiction. I was also the fiction editor for UT’s literary magazine, "The Bat City Review." Most recently, I’ve helped run the Citizen Schools afterschool program at Bedichek Middle School and I’ve taught creative writing workshops through Badgerdog Publishing. I love teaching reading and writing and feel very lucky to be able to teach at the Khabele School, where innovation and creativity are embraced. In my spare time, I love writing short stories and going swimming.

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Originally from Falls Church, Virginia, I graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill with a degree in Philosophy. After school, I moved back to the Washington D.C. area and quickly teamed up with a small collective of writers and spoken word poets to form a production company called Straight No Chaser Films. I was a writer and producer on our feature film, A Multitude of Mercies, which won the "Black Entertainment Television Rap It Up Short Subject Film Competition" and aired on BET in 2005. Moving to Austin soon after, I worked as a freelance writer/ journalist for a variety of media outlets including the Austin Business Journal, The Austinist, A Magazine and PopMatters, and as a video production assistant on shoots around Central Texas. Thinking that the best way to learn how to direct actors on film was to become an actor myself, I began taking acting classes and performing locally. I soon began teaching in an afterschool program with the Theatre Action Project (TAP), an organization dedicated to promoting social change through the arts. Through TAP, I was introduced to the pedagogical philosophies of Augusto Boal and Paulo Freire, which opened my mind to the deep sociological and psychological impacts that a truly experiential education can have. Using these methodologies, I created and led team-building workshops for children and adults focusing on creativity, communication, and classroom engagement. My interests in performance, Zen meditation, organizational and personal development, Integral philosophies and teaching led me to Khabele. In my second year as a full time teacher here, I am excited to continue translating these passions into dynamic learning environments for the students in my drama and speech classes.

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I am a teacher, pure and simple.  Teaching is my passion, my art, my mitzvah.  I have taught in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, universities, and in graduate programs.  I have taught in Massachusetts, Vermont, Kansas, Nepal, Japan, New York City, Kansas City, and now in Austin. I have taught writing, literature, fifth grade, philosophy, neuroscience, history, analysis of teaching, multicultural history and literature, foundations of education, martial arts, and coached basketball in Nepal. I received my B.A. in English Literature at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts; my M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Oregon; and my Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Kansas.  I worked at the Kansas State Department of Education for 14 years and was the state liaison to the Native American community in Kansas.  At the State Department I was part of a team that encouraged educators to consider the issues of traditionally underachieving populations, multicultural education, cooperative learning, community-based schools, parent involvement, teacher expectations, gender issues, and school improvement.  There, I developed a series of annual conferences called Kansans of Color, and another annual conference on Native American education called Council Fires.   I also conducted yearly No-TV Weeks in elementary schools throughout the state and traveled as a roaming storyteller, a habit that culminated in a statewide conference on multicultural storytelling. When not teaching or telling stories, I can be found on 360 riding my bike or at Barton Springs or at any of the music venues in town.

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I am a native Texan, but have had a lot of opportunities to live and travel around the world. I amm a graduate of the Defense Language Institute and I hold a B.A. from the University of Texas in Russian and Eastern European studies as well as certifications in English & Social Studies & Generalist for grades 4-8.  I love watching kids take control of their own development and learning.  In my spare time, I try to keep up with my own kids (4 year old Eddie, and 7 year old Libby), ride my bike, and write poetry and short stories.

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I studied English and photography at Virginia Commonwealth University, where I started to really fall in love with the South, the beautiful old city of Richmond, and writing fiction. After a post-college year spent working as the world’s worst journalist, I headed north to the University of Pittsburgh and earned my Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. During my three years as a graduate student, I was fortunate enough to hold a Teaching Assistantship. Though I have worked countless jobs over the years (from full-time nanny to editor to an extremely brief stint as a stonemason), no line of work has ever been as stimulating, gratifying, and fun as teaching has been for me. After finishing up my degree in Pittsburgh in 2009, I moved to Austin with dreams of hot weather, cold springs, and a teaching job—and a year later, I am thrilled to have found a spot at Khabele. In addition to sharing my fanatical love for writing and literature with students, I am passionate about camping, practicing yoga, hanging out with Jeffrey (the Gentleman Dog), whitewater rafting, dancing shamelessly, swimming, hiking, discovering new music, obsessing over that new music, working on my collection of short stories, and wandering aimlessly around bookstores. I am excited to work with Khabele students as we read, re-read, write, examine, discuss, question, and play with various works of literature.

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Originally from Kansas City, Mo, I graduated from Texas A&M with a BA in English and History. After graduation I joined the Public Policy Research Institute as a research associate studying the effects of poverty on sentencing guidelines in the State of Texas. After the report was complete, and probably read only by me, I left Texas for Annapolis, Maryland where I graduated from St. John’s College with an MA in Liberal Arts. While at St. John’s, I became interested in the nature of happiness, specifically in what makes me happy. Much to the horror and surprise of every teacher who had the misfortune of having me as a student, it became clear that my passion lies in education. Upon graduation I joined the staff of The Touchstones Discussion Project, a non-profit specializing in collaborative learning methodologies, where I ran discussion groups with inmates at the Maryland House of Corrections and The Juvenile Detention Center in Baltimore. In 2008 I became the Director of School Programs for Touchstones in charge of teacher training and program development. Over my time with Touchstones I had the honor of working with thousands of teachers and professionals from around the world including Brazil, Haiti, Burma, and Jordan, where I spent two weeks last fall as a consultant to the Ministry of Education. This will be my first year at Khabele, teaching World Literature and Government and Economics.

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My passion for history emerged while I was enrolled as an engineering student at the University of Texas. My degree plan required me to take a course on Early American History. Thanks to the efforts of one inspiring professor, I developed an insatiable thirst for knowledge and made up my mind to become a history educator. After graduation, I managed to bumble around for a while as a freelance jazz musician, traveling frequently while teaching social studies classes in Texas during the warm summer months. In August of 2007, I was scooped up by the Khabele School, and was instantly transformed by the school’s thriving culture. Every passing day I am honored to work with such a talented, dedicated staff and to be surrounded by so many sharp young minds. Now in my fourth year at the Khabele School, I teach high school U.S. History classes and am available as a tutor in the humanities. Outside of the classroom, I aspire to begin work on an MA and geek out over stacks of history books while continuing to pick up gigs playing bass.

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I started my adulthood with a six-month walkabout through the national forests of the western United States. I discovered new dimensions of self-confidence, honesty, and reverence through the simple and elemental challenges of daily life in the wilderness. I then spent ten years studying qigong, bodywork, music and yoga and completed my Philosophy degree at UT. During this period I managed a qigong school comprised of over 200 students in five states, and later worked at the Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin. It was during this period that I became interested in identity, group dynamics, and organizational development. 2009-2010 will be my third year at Khabele. I started off as a teacher and advisor, and then spent 2007-2008 traveling and studying yoga in India and Thailand. Last year was my inaugural year as a member of the Khabele School administration, and I am very excited to return this year.

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