In every school I have worked at over the years, I have always taken the initiative to create safe spaces for the students. Creating libraries, secret reading nooks, reading classsrooms, art home rooms, safe quiet rooms, bringing interior design and decorating into the mix. This always felt completly natural to me given my background in art and given my belief that we all need to feel safe to learn and thrive, but also my belief in the importance of being in and learning in a beautiful environment

For a number of years I worked at a Special Needs school for Dyslexic Children in Ballerup, Copenhagen. A beautiful school that gave many dyslexic students another chance to regain confidence and feelings of self-worth, lost in the public school system. My boss at the time Mrs Ulla Knudsen had this to say about me at the time. I am still in contact with Ulla whom I have always affectionatly called “Chef” this loosly translates to “Boss-lady”. When I was creating this website I wrote to ask her if I could use the recommendation she had given me all those years ago on my website and she wrote back “of-course, it has been a while but it is still all very true.” The English translation of the recommendation follows the original Danish version.

My Inger Marie

In March of 2016, I meet my old primary school teacher for the first time in 28 years. I wrote her a letter of gratitude telling her exactly how much she meant to me all those years ago and I read it to her in person. The only thing I regret was not doing it sooner. A friend sent me her memorial from the local newspaper this May. Reading it I realized just how many children and young people she touched. How many lives she influenced. She was one of three teachers that inspired me to become a teacher. She was an amazing soul. Inger Marie you will always be my Star.

After starting to learn Italian at the tender age of 52, I have a completely new found deep respect for adults that embark on the journey that it is to learn a new language. Although I have taught adults both Danish and English for a number of years , I never fully appriciated the effort, the stamina, and the courage it takes to learn a new language as an adult.

After a 3-year hiatus, I am coming back to my first love : Teaching! This does not mean I am stopping any of my healing work. I have reached a place where I am allowing all my passions and my Me’s to co-exist!