I believe that the ability to listen to and be understood in a language that is not your own profoundly connects us to the world at large. Inspiring and equipping young people to take travel that path is part of my calling and my way of changing our world for the better.  

I began my journey to Spanish proficiency by listening to Spanish music, watching Spanish movies, reading Spanish magazines, hanging out with Spanish speakers, and traveling to / living in Spanish-speaking countries.  This is the type of experience I desire to mimic for my students as much as possible.  My ultimate aim for them is to be able to communicate confidently, correctly, and without hesitation.

I am a career-certified k-12 Spanish teacher and run an Acton Academy. My home is bilingual/bicultural and I am offering this class to help build conversational fluency among young Spanish learners and bicultural children who desire a safe space to make mistakes as they become confident speakers.   I have taught Spanish using comprehensible input (CI) for the last 10 years. CI involves a mix of stories, conversations, songs, gestures, videos, readings, and writing centered around student interests and Spanish culture.     

Using this approach  I was named District Rookie Teacher of the Year in 2012 and was nominated for Building Teacher of the Year in 2016. I have presented to educators in both local and state foreign language conferences and received educational grants from the Gifted Support Network and VELA.  I have also mentored teachers across the country.