This will be my 4th year with SPS an my 3rd at John Rogers, but I have taught Multilingual Learners (MLLs) of English for over 30 years! For better or worse, English is the main trade language of the world at the moment: for tourism, business, data, and more. It’s not the only one though! I love working to open all learners up to connecting through language and to the possibilities they can create for themselves by communicating well.

I’m a mix of German and Scotch-Irish farmers who came to the U.S. looking for freedom from authoritarian rule. I grew up in the Northwest, and then travelled to live in France and Japan, then met my wife playing Ultimate frisbee near Osaka, and returned to Seattle to teach and build bridges through language. My two sons are SPS students as well!

Another thing I love about SPS is that it encourages MLLs to strengthen their home language skills as well and graduate with a bilingual certificate. Being able to work in more than one language teaches your brain deep down that there’s more than one way to see and do things. Multilinguals have flexibility built in, a key tool that will help them most of all as our world grows more connected every day.

I’m thrilled to be a part of this growth process with your budding scholar. Let’s be in contact via Talking Points, email, or phone so we can be the team your child can count on for support to tackle any challenge!

I love teaching and living in the central district in Seattle. Reading can take us to magical places, help us make informed decisions and learn new things! My goal is to help all students learn to find a love of reading! On the weekends I like to spend time in nature with my dogs and family, read a good graphic novel and (attempt) to bake.