I teach fourth grade and love it!

My coteacher and I strive to make our room a delightful laboratory for kids to explore.

I’ve taught third and fourth grade for over ten years. Prior to that, I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia, where I taught grades K-12. It’s a long run of educating kids, and I love passing on my knowledge to others. I share a lot of my ideas and creations on this site as well as in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. 

What does “Suburban Snow White” mean exactly?

Long ago, two coworkers dubbed me Snow White after observing deer and other wildlife show up near my office window day after day. It was coincidental, of course, but I felt a flush of pride at the nickname. (Don’t we all harbor a secret Dr. Dolittle desire to talk to the animals?) Years later — more than I like to admit —  I realized that it was odd to be eating the creatures I adored. A quick video of typical animal agriculture practices was the magic wand that turned me vegan. I honestly didn’t see that coming, but I’m glad it did.

Outside my fourth grade classroom

It took me a long time to figure out what to do with my life. I love to do so many things. I’m semi-good at a few and terrible at several. Becoming an elementary school teacher has allowed me to explore and bask in several of those hobbies at once and simultaneously introduce a new generation of people to the world. Among the things that make me come alive:

Playing with watercolor paints; wrapping gifts in fancy ribbons and plain paper; hunting for the perfect pen; writing lists; reading stories aloud to my students; dancing; reading books with wild, serendipitous plots; planting seeds and checking on their progress; riding waterslides; looking for seaglass by the shore; surfing (only did it once, but it was one of my happiest moments); swinging from a trapeze (also only did it once, but again, pure glee.)

I live with my talented, rock-star husband and our two rescue dogs, Sadie Nugget and Lady Darby. And we have a cricket that lives in our house somewhere. S/he merrily chirps all year long.

I’m passionate about protecting animals from harm. You can learn more about that here.

I also love the warm hum of old electric typewriters and have a slight obsession with the growing tiny house movement.