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Hannah was one of the coordinating teachers of the Opal 3 classroom.
Before coming to Opal School, I had been a teacher, curriculum writer, and teacher of teachers. What initially drew me here was the opportunity to merge all three in an authentic, powerful, and meaningful context. In my time at Opal, I have been struck by the thoughtfulness and care in every move and decision, the emphasis on community, and the roles of questioning and reflection in teaching and learning. I’m so excited to return to Opal 3 in my fourth year with the Opal community.
I grew up in the Northeast. Before college, I spent a year with the City Year program – an urban peace corps in Boston, Massachusetts. This experience played a vital role in shaping who I am today. While we did all walks of community service, my main role was in a third grade classroom. I thought I wanted to work in social services until I realized education can serve as a pathway to democracy and equality. This realization inspired me to become a teacher.
After City Year, I attended the University of Chicago and spent more time volunteering on the South Side than I did within the walls of the college. After graduation, I taught at an independent school in New York for a few years then went to graduate school to study education. I worked for New York City Public Schools and studied with Lucy Calkins and Cathy Fosnot. Eventually I left New York for a new progressive school in California where I learned vocabulary for my educational beliefs through the inquiry-based constructivist philosophy. While there, I completed a two-year fellowship with Project Zero, in which I primarily focused on Visible Thinking.
I moved to Oregon with my husband, who is also a teacher, nine years ago, shortly before the birth of our first daughter, Teal. Two years later, Rowan joined our family – now Rowan and Teal are in first and third grades, respectively. When not at school, our family loves to camp, hike, garden, travel, read, write, create art, cook for/with others, and play![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]