Introduction to Architecture: Building with Marshmallows

I am currently a public-school teacher about to retire at the end of the 2020-21 school year. I currently teach Gifted Education which I love. I have taught grades first through fifth over my 37-year career in a public school in Pennsylvania. I have two master’s degrees in Education. This past year, I taught strictly online in our school’s Cyber School. I am extremely well-versed in many online platforms such as Google Classroom and Nearpod. Interactive lessons are essential and keep students engaged.
I am a strong believer in Growth Mindset.  I believe in teaching students to have grit - to stick to it - to push themselves and enjoy challenges even when things are hard. The brain is a muscle and needs challenges to get stronger, which in turn makes us smarter. Further, I think learning should be fun. I thoroughly enjoy Gifted Education, but believe all children benefit from out-of-the-box, exciting lessons. The basics are important but can be taught in such a way that students think it's a game.

I love to travel. I take pictures all over the world and incorporate some of them into my lessons. For instance, my Egg-Speriment lesson about domes includes beautiful pictures of the Pantheon in Italy and St. Basil's Cathedral in Russia.