About Your Teacher
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What are your favorite books?
My favorite children's authors are Mo Willems, Christopher Paul Curtis, Jerry Spinelli, and Roald Dahl.
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My favorite series as a child was The Famous Five by Enid Blyton and the Nancy Drew series.
My favorite adult author is Alexander McCall Smith who writes a series of books set in Africa. I love historical fiction, biographies, and stories set in Africa. ​
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Where does your accent come from?
I grew up in the city of Durban, in the beautiful province of Kwa- Zulu Natal, in South Africa. I loved living there but had to move to the U.S. in the fall of 1994, for better job opportunities and a better quality of life. I moved to California with my family and our dog! I acquired my U.S. citizenship and settled in San Francisco. Although I appreciate my South African heritage, I am so proud to have become an American citizen because I feel so much more connected with American values.
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Did you live in a hut when you lived in South Africa?
There were huts in South Africa, but our family lived in a town much like Los Gatos. We had big and small cities, suburbs, and rural villages. Huts are the houses of the tribal folks who now work on the farms.
Wild animals like lions, cheetah, elephants, and giraffe all live in national parks now. However, we did have green mamba snakes, chameleons, and monkeys living in our banana trees in our backyard, so it was just a little wild!
What is your favorite animal?
I love watching African animals...Elephants, zebras, and giraffes.
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Where have you worked?
I worked in a Full Inclusion Preschool for 3 years and then worked at The Children's Discovery Museum for another 3 years while I attended San Jose State University and received a Bachelor Degree in Child Development. I continued school and received my CA Teaching Credential in 2001. I student taught in an alternative educational setting at Christa McAuliffe Elementary in a 3rd-grade classroom. I was hired by Cupertino Union School District and taught for 12 years at West Valley Elementary School in Sunnyvale. I taught 5th grade and then 2nd grade. The community was like a family and I enjoyed my years there.
While working at West Valley, I was introduced to Project Cornerstone which inspired me to achieve a certificate in Character Education through the University of San Diego.
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After having my second daughter, Adelyn, I decided to take time off from the classroom. I became a girl scout troop leader and room mom for my eldest daughter, Genevieve, while I worked at a parent co-op preschool with my youngest, Adelyn. At that time, I also ran a small tutoring business where I worked with k-8th-grade students in their homes. I returned to teaching and joined the fabulous Alta Vista community in 2017 as a first-grade teacher and I feel blessed to be here.
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What is your teaching philosophy?
The best way to prepare students for the "real world" is to give them the opportunity to practice being resilient, practice being kind, practice working hard, and to help them to find their passions. The development of their school self-esteem is the basis for their ability to learn academic and social skills. Teaching & parenting with a growth mindset is important to be able to achieve this.
My goal for your child is that he/she will feel successful and that they will be enthusiastic about learning. I want my students to have fun while they are learning because I am a firm believer that the love of learning will give students the momentum they need to tackle any learning challenges. Fun can only happen if the students respect their environment, their teacher, their peers, and ultimately themselves.
Beyond academic learning, I will try my best to encourage your child's personal growth towards kindness, compassion, and independence this year. I believe that, as adults, we should encourage their learning of life-skills, socialization skills, and natural problem solving by modeling these skills in our own lives.
Along with fostering problem-solving, creative thinking, and good communication, I am going to teach your child that respect, hard work, responsibility, and teamwork are key points in learning to be a good citizen. I try to manage my classroom with the following key points in mind:
1. Communicating clear, consistent rules for behavior so that we can learn!
2. Communicating clear expectations for learning goals.
3. Setting academic, life skills, & community goals as a class.
4. Using class meetings to be proactive about class problems and communication.
5. Speaking positively about making behavior changes/rewarding their efforts.
6. Connecting to my students on a personal level.
7. Expressing my passion for learning & for their success.
8. Using playfulness & technology to engage the students in learning.
9. Making responsibility a central theme in the room.
10. Respecting differences.
11. Aiming for caring, polite interactions amongst and between student & teacher, student & student.
12. Revisiting expectations when needed.
13. Developing the following basis for citizenship: We have rights... like the right to be heard, the right to learn, the right to feel safe, and the right to be oneself.
14. Differentiating instruction so it is engaging and challenging; respecting different learning styles and meeting those needs in small learning groups.
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What do you want from me this year?
Students, I want you to LOVE learning! I want you to work towards your personal best, to become responsible, and to be kind to all those around you this year!
Parents, I would LOVE for you to volunteer at least once in the classroom this year. I would also LOVE for you to read every night with your child.
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What is your favorite food?
Thai, Indian, and Mexican food. I love garden-grown tomatoes in a salad too!
My favorite foods from South Africa are Peppermint Crisp, Crunchy Honeycomb Chocolate, Marmite spread on buttered toast, and Mielie Meal porridge called Pap!
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What are your favorite colors?
I have more than one favorite: green and lavender
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What are your favorite things to do?
1. Hang out with Mr. Yates and my sweet girls: Genevieve, 11 years old, and Adelyn, who is 6. We do lots of fun road trips together.
2. Read a good book.
3. Walk on the beach.
4. Visit with a friend or with my mom and drink tea together.
5. Get a massage or a pedicure.
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What is your favorite flower?
I love white daisies, lavender, white hydrangea, and sunflowers.
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