Hello new friends and old friends! I’m proud to say this is my 11th year at Duniway. I taught kindergarten for three years and now I’m teaching first grade for the eighth year in a row! My “vibe” as a teacher is this (I hope): high expectations in a highly supportive environment. To make that happen, I’ll be working collaboratively and communicating often with the team here at Duniway and with you as parents. Let’s do this!
I grew up in rural central Indiana (Marion) and attended Eastbrook Community Schools (Class of 2000). I vividly remember being a first grader who was so excited to learn, yet almost always very nervous about coming to school. The empathy I have for kids who experience persistent worry and anxiety is such a big part of who I am as a teacher. After finishing an undergraduate degree in marketing from Anderson University, I began my first career in search-engine advertising and sales in Indianapolis. Around that time I also became an after-school tutor with School on Wheels, an organization that serves kids and families experiencing homelessness. I started wishing that I had the right skills and knowledge to help those amazing kids more effectively. After my now-husband took a job here in Portland, I took the plunge and enrolled in Lewis and Clark College’s Early Childhood/Elementary Master’s in Teaching program. Mr. Munoz and I are now living happily-ever-after in Beaverton with our four hairless guinea pigs!
I feel so fortunate that my daily work fills me with such energy and joy! I’m also humbled and honored to be such an influential person in your child’s life. I truly belong in an elementary school and I want my students to know and feel that they belong together with me in Room 6 here at Duniway.