"I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist, and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit." ~ John Steinbeck 

Like Steinbeck, I view teaching as an art. I think to be good at it, one must continually craft and retool lessons, find new ways of presenting, new ways of engaging the kids,  and new ways of seeking and giving feedback to our students. Like any art, there is no "one ring to rule them all" approach that works every time. To that end, I believe a good teacher must also be an entertainer. In design, I teach that good graphic design should "attract the attention of your target audience." Teachers must be able to attract the attention of our students, but more importantly, we must be able to hold their attention. That is why I think of myself as a teacher, an artist and an entertainer. 

Graphic Arts

I love graphic arts. The attention to detail, purposeful use of fonts, colors, placement of elements, etc., is so fascinating to me. I started exploring the field when I was only 8. Back then, my mother started her own publishing company in her home office on a Macintosh Classic. Fortunately for me, she let me doodle and play on that computer and that got me hooked.

Photography

Photography is such a big part of our lives today, perhaps more than ever with the advent of smart phones and social media. I particularly enjoy shooting my Spiderman. He's traveled around world with me from Mesa Verde to Tokyo and beyond. I also enjoy long exposure shots, light graffiti, urban decay and every day city life scenery.

Musician

Music has carried me far in life! From directing as my HS band’s Drum Major to performing on ESPN in my universities marching band, and basketball bands, music has rewarded me in countless ways. I’m a percussionist, though I bought a flute a few years back and started to teach myself how to play. Today, I’m so pleased to share talents as I direct our school’s percussion ensembles.