B.A. University of California, Berkeley
M.A. San Francisco State University
My Master's Degree included a lot of coursework in teaching methods, materials development and testing in the basic skills disciplines, in addition to coursework in those disciplines.
I've been teaching basic education to adults since receiving my Masters Degree at SF State University. For the last twenty years, I've been concentrating on teaching basic math. I have a continuing and committed interest not only in math as a discipline, but also in how adult learn. I believe that students learn in different ways and I try to provide several types of activities according to my students' needs.
I love music of all kinds. I speak Chinese and Italian and I love to travel. I think travel is a necessary part of any education. I've lived in several countries, including Hong Kong, Yugoslavia, and Algeria. I've traveled in Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Cuba, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Mexico. My travels have enriched my life, but have always led me back to Sonoma County. I am particularly interested in the educational, culinary and cultural opportunities that this county has to offer.
I am particularly interested in exploring ways to help adults succeed in college. I feel I need to teach not only mathematical concepts in class but also study skills such as time management, test-taking, notetaking and organizational skills. I believe in the importance of learning math for practical purposes as well as just to make it to the next math class. I believe in whatever works to allow a student to learn math, and I am willing to experiment with just what that is.