In what ways do you connect with online students?
Email, text, Canvas announcements, Zoom or video conferencing.
What do you want your students to take away from class?
In addition to course specific outcomes, I want students to be aware of professional resources and the confidence and excitement of continued exploration of the field.
Why did you start teaching?
I started teaching because I believed that learning should be fun and deeply rewarding. The ultimate goal of teaching is to cultivate skills within people to see possibilities, solve problems and actively engage in finding better ways of living with others.
My purpose is to use my creativity and my desire for quality to facilitate others in finding their passion and their vision.
What advice would you give to your online students?
Online learning offers incredible flexibility of time, interacting and reviewing materials multiple times and ways. However, it is vital you plan for time to spend with the materials as you would with an in-person class. It is also important that you communicate with your professor for questions and where you need the support.
What qualities make someone particularly successful in the field in which you teach?
The ability to be flexible, curious (a constant learner and inventor), creative, willing and able to listen to co-workers and your customers, and able to communicate clearly and frequently.
What is the one book you think everyone should read?
It's hard to think of one book. I have rooms full of books. Some of the better ones I have returned to regularly are: Jack Canfield's "Success Principles," Hyemeyohsts Storm's "Seven Arrows" and am currently reading Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's "How to Be an Antiracist" and Dr. Robin DiAngelo's "White Fragility."
What do you do when you need a laugh?
I go outside and watch the animals – cats, chickens, birds, rabbits, squirrels, etc.
Tell us something your students may not know about you:
I love playing ... playing with mud (gardening and caving), playing with paper (bookbinding, artist books, painting, drawing, mixed media), playing with ideas (upcycled projects and learning new skills). I also love traveling and experiencing new perspectives. As a child, I collected folklore stories and wanted to be either a potter or a parapsychologist. I am known for my out-of-the-box thinking and work best in collaborative projects in which I can bounce ideas off others. If I were to pick something that I would love to represent me, it would be a lichen. A lichen is a symbiotic partnership between a fungus and a moss; and even the rock or tree in which it resides. I can easily build a one-match (or no-match) fire, bake a variety of breads and have taught folkcraft, but find it hard to hit a softball. I love board games, art supplies and plants; and have an extensive collection of each.
