About Me

Hello there! Here you will learn a little more about me: my goals, identity story, day-to-day work, personal interests, and view on well-being. Thanks for taking the time to learn more about me and I hope to connect with you soon!

My goals

My primary goals are to share information and do work that is helpful to others. On my blog, I will write for different audiences, depending on the topic and timing. Sometimes I'll write for fellow educators (learning specialists and equity facilitators) and at other times I'll write for a parent or student audience. The online information space is vast, and I really love how high-quality information has become more and more accessible. With accessibility, there is also the risk of information overload. Because of this, I use a critical lens when I select resources to share and my aim is to save people the time it takes to search and select quality resources to learn from. I really enjoy doing this type of resource curation, but there are limitations to this practice because I am currently the only person writing for my blog and providing learning support here. I encourage people who stop by to take what resonates with them and leave behind what doesn't.

My identities

My intersecting identities shape my worldview. This includes identities that are privileged in some ways and marginalized in others. I do ongoing equity and healing work to address the ways I experience oppression and privilege in my daily life. It is a core belief that it is my responsibility as a professional to do continuous work in these areas as a way to ensure that I am not unintentionally perpetuating harm and taking responsibility for my own healing. As a cis-gendered able-bodied woman of color working in education, I understand that it is my responsibility to interrogate how systems of oppression show up in my life and what it means to work with others who may or may not share my identities or experiences with oppression and privilege.

My work

My day-to-day work involves a mix of working directly with students alongside consulting and facilitating conversations with fellow educators. My doctoral training prepared me to be a "scholarly practitioner", someone who understands how to use research methodology (collecting and analyzing data) to solve problems of practice (barriers to learning at the systemic and/or individual level). For me, working in schools part-time while also running a private practice is ideal because it enables me to do all the types of work I love -- personalized work with students, and staying current with educational trends by remaining connected to school communities of practice. I believe that the balance between community practice and private practice enables me to do my best work because I am able to utilize the teaching, research, and facilitation skills that I have honed over the years in meaningful and authentic ways.

My interests

Emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness are important facets of my life that I prioritize when I am not working. I love watching and listening to comedians on stand-up specials and podcasts. It's a way for me to decompress with laughter. Laughter is both a healing practice and a way for me to bond with others. Growing up, I watched stand-up and Saturday Night Live with my parents, it's still one of my favorite shows. I also surround myself with people who are kind, witty, and have a great sense of humor -- a guaranteed laugh-fest when we get together!

Something that many people don't know about me is that I am also really into gifting. Gift-giving is a significant part of my Japanese heritage and I love this part of my culture. It's a way to share goodwill with others and honor my relationships while making people feel appreciated and seen. This is such a beautiful practice that makes me feel both grounded and connected to others. I enjoy shopping at local small businesses to source my gifts and get really inspired by people who create for a living. One of my favorite thing about the Bay Area is being surrounded by talented artists who make beautiful things.

My wellbeing

I like to stay active as a wellness practice and do daily journaling and meditation. I have been running outside when the weather is nice and doing yoga online with Jessamyn Stanley (of Underbelly Yoga). Her inclusive, body-positive approach to yoga has been a lifeline for me during the pandemic. I journal daily on the site 750words.com a private, online journal where an uncensored stream-of-conscious type of writing is encouraged. I look at my journal as a safe space for me to honor my thoughts and feelings in writing, with no judgment or distraction. As an equity facilitator and educator of color working in predominantly white spaces, I often need more guidance to process big emotions that come with the equity and justice work that I engage in. As such, my wellness practices include partnering with a licensed counselor to help me sustain myself while doing the work.

Thanks for stopping by, and I look forward to connecting with you soon! Feel free to leave a comment and introduce yourself, too!