About me

Thank you very much for visiting my professional teaching blog, Symphony of Ideas.

I am an elementary school teacher currently managing an inquiry based Grade 5/6 PYP classroom emphasizing Constructionist pedagogy at Jingumae International Exchange School in Tokyo, Japan. I also  and serve as Performing Arts Coordinator, organizing our arts oriented Celebrations of Learning, curating and sharing resources, and coaching classroom teachers about integrating the performing arts into units of inquiry. Our school functions as an 'international section' of a Japanese public elementary school providing students, teachers, and families, with rich opportunities for intercultural exchange and communication.

As one of the original Edcamp Tokyo organizers, I have been very active within the local international learning community, as well as an active connected educator utilizing digital media to share, collaborate, and innovate.

I came to Japan with my wife on the JET Program as an Assistant Language Teacher and International Course organizer in a Japanese public high school. Soon after, our first child was born and we moved to Tokyo.

Before teaching internationally, I was a founding teacher at Full Circle Learning Academy, an independent charter elementary school in Los Angeles Unified School District, devoted to service learning and empathy oriented character education. In my first year, I was responsible for a Grade 4/5 class. Then I taught for two years at Grade 2.

I am currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at Buffalo State University New York via the COETAIL program, with particular emphasis on educational technology and Connected Learning pedagogy and practice.
Before becoming a classroom teacher, I taught music in after school programs and privately.

Music is my first passion, especially composition, and particularly modern big band jazz. I was thrilled to study at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, where I earned a BFA degree.

I was born and raised in Southern California and enjoy writing, hiking, cooking, and adventures with my family.