About Ms. Bland

Hello VIDA students and families!

I am beyond excited to meet you! Not only am I thrilled to be your new teacher, I am incredibly excited to have the privilege of getting to watch and participate in your growth for the next whole year.

Let me first start out by saying that I LOVE teaching. I am made for it and over the course of my last 13 years as a middle school teacher, I have always enjoyed and felt at home being in the classroom. The feeling of fulfillment I experience watching students stumble and fail, pick themselves back up, and be willing to try again energizes me year after year.

At 32 I had my first child, Oliver, and he’s been my heart walking around ever since he arrived. Oliver and Parker, my other son who is now 5, are the center of my world and I absolutely love being a mom (and a teacher). I’m devoted to my family. I tell my family specific reasons I love them nonstop...that sort of mom. I show up. I’m prepared.

Although I'm starting my first year at VIDA, I am a seasoned teacher who brings a level of calm to the classroom. I have worked hard to earn four teaching credentials and a Masters in Education with an emphasis in technology. I hold teaching credentials in English, History, Multiple Subjects, and most recently, Art.

I took a short break from teaching to be home raising my two young sons the last couple years and created and developed two businesses. The first one is an academic coaching business; I created an online video course helping high school students with learning disabilities transition into college. I gave myself a year to create a video course and I did it! After finishing touches, it will be available to help the students who need it.

Secondly, I came up with an idea to create handbags and pouches with inspirational messages inside the lining. I learned full entrepreneurial skills I had never known of before like taxes, bookkeeping, sewing, leather work, fabric design, sales and marketing, etc. I failed more times than I succeeded and I found out what I’m really made of. Perseverance. Grit. Creativity. In preparation to come back to my beloved teaching career, I sold the business to my fashion designer sister and she’s brought it to a whole new level.

Because I am the teacher I am, along with the knowledge I have now about entrepreneurship, I feel like getting to teach at VIDA is a perfect fit for me. I am kind and confident, I care about a student's emotional state as much as their academic success, and am someone who deeply cares about providing amazing lessons to make every student's time here at VIDA and in my classroom a happy and positive experience. I am beyond grateful to be privileged to help facilitate your learning and growth this year. I know we have many, many incredible days ahead.

Warmest Regards,

Erin Bland