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f riding a bicycle for the first time was as exhilarating as you remember, then imagine a young person feeling that same sense of confidence and self-advocacy when learning to stretch the boundaries of their imagination; while the link between hub and spoke, or wheels and brakes appear to be of little or no consequence, they were very much central to the means by which you moved forward; and much like the interplay of those mechanisms, my passion for curriculum has culminated to holism that. I believe these aspects and more enable me to positively contribute to the NEASC Accreditation team, in general, and the peer-review process, as a whole.

As an educator with almost two decades of experience, I have taught everything from Elementary to Postsecondary education. I became NCLB compliant, authorized to teach English learners (CLAD), and drew upon my knowledge of STEM education to develop my own grading system and lessons plans. Doing so deepened my appreciation for the critical differences in applied learning and experimental, hands-on learning.

In this vein, a deep understanding of inquiry-based teaching and learning is a particular strength that I bring to an Accreditation team. Because I am passionate about children and learning, I endeavor to promote enriched, learner-focused environments that encourage self-direction and emphasize intrinsic rewards, and critical thinking skills. The continual improvement of both learners and institutions, from my view, lies within an institution’s ability to cultivate a more curious student populous with the ability to look at information from different perspectives.

Cultural intelligence, a second strength, plays an equally essential part in unlocking a student’s latent potential. Throughout my teaching and administrative experiences in the United States, Spain, South Korea and Dubai, I have found that a modicum of cultural intelligence goes a long way. Cultural intelligence is fundamental to classroom management and the promotion of listening skills, all while engaging parents, staff, and community stakeholders. School identifying skills its are critical for identifying and assessing the leadership characteristics of an institution. I pride myself on being able to identify and encourage latent talent that is already present within the school environment so as to improve its long-term prospects.

Just as your team focuses mainly on the holism of a child’s learning environment, I firmly believe that everything and everyone has an important role to play. From health practitioners to teachers and admin, we are all spokes in the hub a child’s long-term development. My contribution to a school’s betterment is a contribution to the forward movement of a child’s life. And that commitment is one that I welcome.