Self-introductions

[Alison Douglas]

Hi! My name is Alison Douglas, and I teach middle school History.  I've been teaching for about 18 years, and this year has been the most interesting. I've been doing some projects around the house, enjoy working out, and have been trying new recipes.  I hope to get back to traveling and seeing new places very soon.  Good to meet everyone and look forward to this course. 🙂

[Maria Teresa Harris]

Hola! I'm a bilingual high school social studies teacher in the southern most district in CA, Sweetwater Unified in Chula Vista.  I have been fortunate enough to travel to South Korea and China through education programs. Both were incredibly well put together and I learned so much! Basically, it awakened a desire to have a deeper understanding of the region and all its complexities.

During the last six months I have been very active in our local teachers's union. I am on the bargaining team and have spent a lot of time reading and trying to educate myself on what a "safe" return to school would like for us in Chula Vista. 

I'm excited about this course and learning for all of you!

[Chad Espinoza]

Hello, my name is Chad Espinoza and I am an ELD coordinator and teacher at Tajima High in Echo Park. I have been teaching for over 8 years. Teaching during Covid has made me feel like a first year teacher, but I am adjusting. I am currently fully online. I have enjoyed exploring the vast amount of online resources, but I have found that simply making myself available for video calls has been the most effective. That and Discord. Discord has been great for online interactions. Pre-Covid, I enjoyed going to new restaurants. I still enjoy that now, but takeout is not nearly as good as dining in. As for new hobbies, I have been comfortable in my ability to make cheese and yogurt. Two things I need post-apocalypse. 

[Jaclyn Pop]

Hi! My name is Jackie Pop.  I am a 4th Grade teacher at Community Magnet Charter School in Los Angeles, CA.  This is my 6th year teaching, but it’s my first year teaching remotely since the very start of the school year. (We ended last year remotely, which I have found is very different than starting off remotely!) Remote learning has definitely had its challenges, but I've been trying to stay as positive as possible throughout the process. 

Prior to our COVID lives, I used to enjoy spending time with friends and family, going out to restaurants and playing in recreational sports leagues on the weekends.  

I have traveled a bit throughout life, but not nearly as much as I would like.  Hopefully we’ll all be able to travel again in the near future!

[Ying Yu]

My name is Ying Yu. I am living in Maryland. I have 6 years of teaching-related experience. I would like to participate in this program to learn more about the history of East Asia architecture and I would like to know more about design thinking. I am a person who is always eager to learn something new. I enjoy going hiking, and I am a good runner. I love children, so I choose to be a teacher. I love their smiles and sweet words. Also, I love Chinese culture. I would like to teach more students about the Chinese language and culture. I would like to be an expert in the education field. So now I am still studying hard for my career goal. It is so lucky to meet you all here! Be safe and hope we can meet together after the end of the pandemic.

[Ingrid Herskind]

Hello! My name is Ingrid Herskind, and I live in Los Angeles, California. I teach US History and International Relations and am the Global Studies Coordinator at my school. I am excited to learn more about the history of East Asian urbanization and architecture--mostly to share with my other teachers in world history and art history. It's so great to see so many people from all over the world on this forum. I'm looking forward to working with everyone!

[Sonia Arrayales]

Hello,
My name is Sonia Arrayales. I was born and raised in Los Angeles California. I am a second grade teacher for LAUSD. I have taken of course here before and I've enjoyed the classes that are offered and will enjoy taking another one.

[Elizabeth Rosales]

I am pretty sure we all feel like we are first year teachers again, so you are in good company!

[Anthony Pollard]

Wow! That is awesome. I spent some time in Fukuoka, and I enjoyed it. It is probably really developed now, huh?

[Anthony Pollard]

San Diego Unified School District is where I teach. I teach American Literature and English Language Arts and I have no complaints at the moment, as for tips, is $5 enough? Yes, this is the character of an English Language Arts educator, we can make a story, or joke about practically any topic (whether you think it is funny is another story, again.) Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we enjoyed traveling, going to movies at the theater, and “well, hmm….” Newly discovered quarantine talents, I have had more time to cook, I think I am an on-the-job trained chef, meaning I am the primary dinner preparer for our family now. I’ve seen and listened to some cooking shows; I was just so impressed they could make a meal out of miscellaneous items in the refrigerator and freezer. Most of all, I am really happy to be collaborating and studying with you all!

[Philip Bramble]

Well, there's always something new.  Ten years ago it was the new Hakata train station, now it's the redevelopment of Tenjin.  Regardless, the city almost always winds up in the Top 5 of every list I've ever seen ranking the most livable cities in Asia.

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