I began my career as a special education teacher at a comprehensive high school, primarily work with students on the Autism spectrum, teaching all grade levels of English and a social skills course that focused on peer mentoring.  While serving as a classroom teacher, I found a passion for teacher leadership and mentoring, serving as the Department Chair and Intervention Coordinator, as an Induction Mentor and Common Core Pilot teacher for the district, and was selected as the Teacher of the Year for 2014-2015..  

After seven years in the classroom, I made the leap to be a full-release mentor as a PAR (Peer Assistance and Review) Consulting Teacher, working with new teachers from all content areas and grade levels in both general education and special education, providing them with the support necessary to meet the California Standards for the Teacher Profession, while being able to continue as an Induction mentor, observing and meeting with candidates, guiding them through the formative assessment process to reflect on their classroom practice and make progress toward their personal goals for professional learning.  My favorite part of this position was the opportunity to reflect on my own teaching practice and to learn from the teachers with whom I have worked.  

After five years outside of the classroom, I missed being with students and returned to the classroom as a founding department chair, special education teacher, and wellness liaison at a new comprehensive high school with a focus on inclusivity, SEL, and providing students with many options for a path to success. With the ability to start systems from scratch, we implemented and refined an approach to Standards Based Instruction and Assessment, which focuses on mastery of learning while retaining equitable grading practices that allow students to show us what they know.