I am the grade 7 World Geography and Cultures teacher. As the world’s interconnectedness and interdependence become even more tightly woven, geography is such an important subject to teach. I have a BA in English and Art History and a MAT in Education. I love teaching World Geography and Cultures because students are growing up in a globalized world. They need to be able to study the relationships between different cultures and how they are both similar as well as different. I am also a world traveler and have been to 21 countries and 5 continents. I enjoy speaking about my travels with my students. My passion is to bring my enthusiasm to world geography students-that brings me great joy! I’ve also organized travel abroad trips for McLean’s Middle School students. Past excursions included travel to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, the United Kingdom, Croatia, and California.
One of my favorite lessons is in May when students complete our unit on Asia with a culminating project and deep dive into the art of masks. Students study how culture and religion translate into fine arts, with a focus on 19th-century Asian masks. These masks were based on the strict symbolism of colors and facial characteristics that the ancient Chinese began using 5,000 years ago. Students research a mask from Southeast Asia, and then use their findings to guide them in designing and making their own tribal mask.