Who is Doren?
“Doren is one of the most passionate educators I have worked with over the last 17 years.”
Jesse Roselin, Founder and CEO, Tutor Corps
AIM is an acronym for Accelerated Interactive Metacognition. I know it’s a mouthful, but it describes what I do.
As a veteran education specialist, I’ve learned that accelerating learning is best done by an orderly targeting of specific skills and goals. Within this target framework, I embed content and strategies to promote intensive development.
A review of various studies on how children collaboratively teach themselves confirmed my dedication to interactive models. For many years, I integrated game/play structures into my lesson and activity designs. I discovered that my preferred teaching role is as a guide, showing learners the path to becoming empowered activators of their own progress.
Research and experience caused me to conclude that the most efficient way to promote learner independence is to promote the development of metacognitive skills. I developed a guided process of metacognition, teaching learners to reflect on their best learning styles and methods through analysis of failures, successes, and joys.
My Teaching Philosophy - 3 Key Understandings
I believe in success for all learners. As an educational coach I support a learner’s flourishing potential which is best measured by their happiness, and relies upon these 3 Key Understandings:
- Education must be catered to the learner. Whether the learner is gifted, challenged, or twice exceptional, teaching is informed by understanding the learner and developing metacognitive strategies for them.
- Learning is collaborative. Learning relies on one’s engagement with content, practice, other learners, environment, familial influences, and the cumulative educational setting. Collaborative, playful learning environments promote optimal success.
- Learners teach themselves. Through access to knowledge, dialogue, and critical thinking, learners can teach themselves. Curiosity, passions, talents, and 21st century technological skills, can propel learners for years to come.
These key understandings provide a pathway for life-long learners to explore their potential at any time in life and anywhere.
Education
- 2015 Early Childhood Director’s Permit, Los Angeles Mission College
- 2009 Education Specialist Clear Credential, CA State University Northridge
- 2005 Multiple Subject Clear Credential, CA State University Northridge
- 1995 BA, Music, cum laude, Sonoma State University, Distinguished Jazz Graduate
Teaching Experience
17 years of classroom teaching
- 9 years of specialized education for students with learning disabilities, autism, and emotional and behavioral disorders
- 8 years experience in general education and gifted student programs
13 years of private tutoring
Trainings
- Numerous Kaplan gifted trainings 4 years
- Behavior management trainings, 4 years
- Educational therapy trainings
- Form drawing
- Healthy play
- Art therapy
- Waldorf school pedagogy
- Specialized Reading Instruction: Dyslexia Center, Lindamood Bell
Curriculum Development
2009 “Heart ART - Service Learning Project” - Lead Instructor, Designer. Hands-on art analysis, family art production workships with common media, and community museum trips for kindergarteners and parents.
2016 - Present Curriculum Development & Training, The Empathy Training Project Promoting emotional literacy through community outreach, curriculum building, and classroom trainings. www.empathytrainingproject.org
2016 - Present Playful Minds - Creative Intelligence & Design Workshops
Facilitating tailor-made workshops that empower community specific goals and enhance connectivity with creative expression.
Credits
- CSUN family focus and empowerment center speaker and workshop leader
- Guest presenter at CSUN on collaboration in education
- Contributor to development of CSUN Tutoring for Athletes program
- Educational literacy workshops for families
I’ve always been fascinated by life, observing the world, wondering about it, discovering how to create the things I imagined, tenaciously solving problems…I’m a lifelong learner and I can’t imagine any other way to be!
- As a young learner -- I had a variety of educational experiences, but focused my attention on what interested me: logic, the arts, writing, science fiction, and athletics…
- As a college student -- I amassed numerous units beginning with my degree in jazz music. I went on to acquire multiple credentials and certificates in education. I am now a graphic design student…
- As an educator -- I am fascinated by the puzzles learners bring to my attention. I seek the best pedagogy along my journey to help learners succeed…
- As a mother -- I’ve discovered strengths I never knew existed, and managed to raise a happy, successful urban planner who resides in New York City…
- As an artist -- Art is Everything!
I knew I wanted to be a teacher in eleventh grade. When it came time to choose colleges, one mentor advised me to first pursue my talents, promising these would inform and enrich my teaching. I am an artist first and last, and I was known for my singing talent, so I got a music degree with a jazz emphasis.
Teaching is an improvisational, creative craft. Jazz strongly influences my teaching style and art plays a significant role in my lesson design. Below is a mere sprinkling of creative things I have done that inform my teaching and personal enrichment!
Design, Sculpture, Pottery, Stained Glass, Linoleum Printing, Beading, Collage, Paper Making, Acrylic Painting, Silk Screen Design, Leather Work, Photography, Graphic Design, Book Making, Writing, Theater Performance, Dramaturgy, Jazz and Classical, Singing, Songwriting, Dance, Choreography, Poet and Spoken Word, Costume Design
Learn More About Playful Minds
“Play is the highest form of research.” Albert Einstein A playful blog for serious learners!
One of the most important skills learners need in the 21st century is to learn how to think.