Where am I from?

I grew up in Little Falls, NY, a tiny town surrounded by farmland between Albany and Syracuse. I graduated from Hartwick College, located just south of Cooperstown, NY. After realizing I wanted to be a teacher by working at an environmental education camp, I moved to Boston to start my next classes at Boston University. I was placed in Watertown Middle School for my student-teaching in the winter of 2002 and have been here ever since!

Where am I now?

I live in Waltham with my husband, PJ, and my sons, Orion (11) and Julian (8). We love to be out in our yard playing badminton, soccer, lacrosse, or just sitting around the fire pit roasting marshmallows. When we are able to travel, we spend lots of time visiting grandparents and aunts and uncles in Maine and New York or traveling to see new places and people.

Who are my two favorite turkeys (turkey is my term of endearment for my kids when they are goofy)?

Orion is very musical and plays two instruments. He and I have started running virtual 5K races this summer and have had a blast collecting shirts and medals. Julian never stops moving. Or talking. Ever. He’s super active and has spent much of the summer on a walkie talkie, on his bike, or both at the same time. He also loves to draw comics, particularly Calvin and Hobbes, his two favorite characters.

What do I do other than school?

Some of my favorite activities are baking, running, reading, skiing, and planting things that I can watch grow. Baking is the best because it’s just science using food! My mom is always asking me why I’m changing recipes around--I have to keep telling her that experiments involving chocolate or cinnamon are always worthwhile. :)

Why science?

I love figuring out how stuff works, especially the world and everything alive in it. We are all naturally curious and so figuring it all out is second nature. That’s all science really is! My philosophy of teaching is that we feel our best after we conquer a challenge. My job is to create the challenge, provide the tools, and act as a guide to the finish line. Every challenge we put behind us helps us to feel confident that the next one is something we can tackle. It’s ok to feel overwhelmed in the beginning but the struggle has to happen to succeed.

Why 8th grade?

I stay in 8th grade year after year because for many, it is the year students decide what kind of person they want to be and what is important to them. It’s a pretty big deal and I look forward to figuring that out with our newest bunch of folks.