I grew up listening to the sound of my mother teaching piano in my living room. Every day after school, I knew I had to come in the back door quietly, sneak around the corner, and dash up the stairs to my room. I heard her patience and her persistence. I heard her firmly correct and redirect. Most importantly, I heard the joy she had at every little success. Ultimately, I think that joy is why I became a teacher.
My home was in Omaha, NE. In terms of school I learned math from nuns, how to question from Jesuits, and everything else from the giant public school downtown. I went on to study Television Engineering at the University of Nebraska at Omaha for a few semesters. Leaving that behind, I played music and travelled until school felt right. In 1992, I landed at the University of Southern California. I graduated with a major in Comparative Literature and Art History.
After working in theatre (sound design, acting, and administration) and photography, I met my wife in a book club here in Seattle. Kristin was (and is) a teacher. The stories she brought home were far more interesting than my work stories. Her joy reminded me of my mother’s, and it brought me full circle into teaching. I got my Masters degree from the University of Washington in 2006 and started teaching 4th and 5th grade at Coe Elementary. During all this, my family has grown to include two phenomenal daughters, Ruth and Iris.
I have been a teacher at Hazel Wolf (K-8) since its inception 8 years ago. I create standards-based art curriculum, instructing 18 classes of very creative and enthusiastic students ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade. In the elementary grades, students receive art instruction on a 3 week rotation with Music and P.E. (Fourth and fifth graders receive one semester of art instruction on a 3 week rotation).
I have earned a B. A. degree and B.F. A. degree in studio Art and a Masters degree in Teaching. In addition to my certification teaching Visual Arts K-12, I also have certification in Special Education (K-12). My goal is to make the arts as inclusive, accessible and consistent as possible within the confines of our current educational system. Access to the arts fosters creative problem-solving skills, builds self-esteem and habits of productivity as well as giving all of us a visual voice with which to communicate what we feel and value.
