Teacher Spotlight
Our new blog series features Q&A sessions with Brookfield’s amazing teachers! From classroom insights to fun facts, you’ll get a closer look at the passionate educators who make our school such a special place to learn and grow.
What inspired you to become a teacher?
Spending time with kids and making art were written in the stars for me- it is just a natural fit for my soul!
How long have you been teaching?
I think I’ve been at Brookfield for 13 years- they have gone by so fast.
What do you love most about Brookfield so far?
I LOVE that the Brookfield administration loves and values art and that they give me the freedom to teach any medium that I enjoy- knowing that my joy will be passed to and felt by the students.
How do you keep your students engaged?
That is easy because kids are naturally creative- they almost all love art just instinctively; but also a lot of times I ask them what they want to do.
What’s one thing you hope your students take away from your class each year?
That they are awesome, perfect, and amazing artists already- that it doesn’t matter what they make, it is the process and the enjoyment of creating that matters the most.
What’s a favorite memory or proudest moment you’ve had as a teacher?
Oh man. Too hard to just pick one. I love hearing from kids that I’m their favorite art teacher (even though in most cases I’m the only art teacher they have ever had).
What was your favorite subject in school growing up?
Art and recess!
What do you like to do outside of the classroom?
I practice hot yoga and run almost every day. I live on a small farm and I’m a beginner bow hunter.
What’s one fun fact students might be surprised to learn about you?
I have a pet Emu named Mr. Beefy.
If you weren’t a teacher, what career would you want to try?
A children’s picture book author and illustrator- but I’m trying to do that now anyway!
What is your favorite school lunch?
I’m a total snacker. I can’t pick one. I love chai tea, apples, jerky, blueberries, and chocolate- even though I try not to have too much sugar.
If you could take your students on any field trip in the world, where would you go?
Oh, probably a magical castle where we could see gorgeous paintings and look for crystals and treasures and play in waterfalls and ride ponies. SO, wherever that is.
What inspired you to become a teacher?
I knew I wanted to be a teacher out of high school. I had always had such great teachers growing up who really inspired me and taught me lessons I still think about today.
How long have you been teaching?
My first classroom was in February 2021 while I was completing my practicum course. After that, my first official job was at Ormiston Primary School in January 2022 (In the southern hemisphere, the school year runs January to December) which is the largest elementary school in the southern hemisphere.
What do you love most about Brookfield so far?
At Brookfield, I really like that the classroom sizes are smaller. It means that I can really get to know and understand each learner, their learning styles as well as their strengths and areas they need to work on. I feel like I can do a much more effective job as an educator due to this.
What’s one thing you hope your students take away from your class each year?
One of Brookfield's R's is "Ready" to me, this means so much more than punctuality and uniform, I see "Ready" as being set up for the world. My goal as a teacher in 2025 is to foster resilient, critical thinkers who have the skills to navigate whatever the world looks like 10 years from now.
How do you keep your students engaged?
I keep students engaged by keeping them up to date with what's happening in our community and the wider world and try to draw our classwork from things like that. Also, I like to give students a say in what they want to learn, and from there, I will plan, and design lessons and modules based off of that, at the same time aligning with the curriculum.
What’s a favorite memory or proudest moment you’ve had as a teacher?
One of my favorite moments as a teacher was seeing a student who could barely write a paragraph when they joined my class, go on to place second in Auckland City's primary school speech competition.
What was your favorite subject in school growing up?
My favorite subject in school was P.E. I remember my Friday schedule when I was 8 years old was Library, Singing, Fitness, PE, Assembly, More PE. I used to tell myself that "the week ended on Thursday afternoon."
What do you like to do outside of the classroom?
My hobbies are hiking, going to the gym, playing with my Nintendo Switch 2, and checking out the food Reno has to offer. I am not used to food having so much taste. It's great here.
What’s one fun fact students might be surprised to learn about you?
A fun fact about me is that I grew up with Deaf parents. I can sign NZSL and ASL.
If you weren’t a teacher, what career would you want to try?
If I wasn't a teacher, I think I would still want to work in the realm of education. I have had many different jobs in my life though - the most interesting was building sets for tv shows and movies, like Cowboy Bebop (that flopped) and the Amazon LOTR series (another flop).
What is your favorite school lunch?
It wouldn't be my favorite, but I have been having cup noodles every day. An economical option.
If you could take your students on any field trip in the world, where would you go?
We could go to Disneyland, and pretend it's about physics.
What inspired you to become a teacher?
I was inspired to become a teacher because I had some amazing teachers that made school very exciting. They instilled a love for learning within me and I want to do that with others. I love helping others and I love seeing the moment when it clicks.
How long have you been teaching?
This will be my fourth year in the classroom.
What do you love most about Brookfield so far?
I absolutely love the support and kindness that I have received from everyone at Brookfield. Being a new teacher to the school means I’ve had many questions and all of my questions and concerns are being answered and cared for. every single teacher has been so helpful.
What’s one thing you hope your students take away from your class each year?
When students leave my room, I want them to know that they are braver than they think, smarter than they believe, and kinder than they even realize and I will always be cheering them on, no matter where they go.
What’s a favorite memory or proudest moment you’ve had as a teacher?
My favorite memory as a teacher is my first year as a whole. I was learning right alongside them and we created such strong connections. It made me love teaching even more.
What was your favorite subject in school growing up?
My favorite subject growing up was reading and I still love it to this day!
What do you like to do outside of the classroom?
When I’m not teaching, I love spending time with family and friends reading a good book or going camping.
What’s one fun fact students might be surprised to learn about you?
I think something that would surprise my students is the fact that I lived in the world’s very first ever national park!
If you weren’t a teacher, what career would you want to try?
If I wasn’t a teacher, I could see myself being a student counselor or a child psychologist, but I can’t see myself in a world that I’m not helping kids in.
If you could take your students on any field trip in the world, where would you go?
If I could take my students on any field trip, I’d probably take them to Yellowstone. It’s a beautiful place. It’d be so fun to teach them about nature and wildlife and I would want to give them an experience like I had living there and I would love to show them that learning goes way beyond our classroom walls.