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Hello! My name is Indya. I am a speech language pathologist, mindfulness teacher, singer-songwriter and musician. I teach a variety of classes on OutSchool. Some classes are focused on  sound and phonological awareness to support reading development and speech skills. Some classes focus on mindfulness, meditation, and yoga practices that are beneficial to well-being and have been suggested by research to improve performance in certain areas like better sleep, reduced stress, increased reaction time and better learning and problem solving abilities. Other classes I teach are based on music, like my song-writing or ukulele camp. 

I earned a master's degree in Communication science and disorders, and have been a licensed speech therapist for over 6 years. I work with children to improve their sound awareness and speech production. The reason I got into speech pathology was because of my love of communication. I believe that being able to express oneself and to be understood is one of the most beautiful experiences of life. My experience as a speech therapist helps me to be very patient with children and very attuned to what level they are at so that I can meet them with just the right amount of support for them to achieve their own success in whatever class I am teaching, not only my sound awareness classes.  

I am also a musician, singer-songwriter, ukulele and guitar player. I grew up in a musical family and music has always been a big part of my world. I have written children's songs for kid yoga classes, won a talent show that I performed an original song for, and performed regularly at local venues. I have also been in a family band and performed concerts at fairs, weddings, churches and other events. I believe music is in everyone and rhythm is a part of our nature, it's in our heart beat. As Ralph Covert says, rhythm is embedded in our DNA, it's part of who we are. In today's society, we are taught to believe that some people are talented and others not. And only the so called "talented" are allowed to participate in music. My goal is to enlighten students about their own potential and birthright when it comes to music and creative expression. That it's not just outside of them to be a passive observer, but within them to be an active participant. 

I also have studied mindfulness, meditation, yoga, ayurveda, communication, and breathing. (Read more about the specific courses and certifications in my teacher expertise section). I am avid on allowing space for children to be. I like to create an environment where they can cultivate creative expression. I also like to follow the children's flow when possible, instead of rigidly imposing my "itinerary" on them. 

Something fun about me is that I LOVE gardening. My husband, daughter and I spend a lot of our time outside tending to our fruits and vegetables.

A few quotes that inspire me:

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." John Dewey
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." William Butler Yeats
"I firmly believe that the family unit is the fabric of which this country is woven. As we create more peace and harmony within families, our society will become more cooperative and experience less violence and isolation. Together, we can make a difference for all children and for our world." 
-Kathryn J. Kvols