Profesora Hines
Mission Statement & Teaching Philosophy
Learning is as constant as breathing. It entails more than the obvious reading, writing, and arithmetic. It is a complicated as calculus and as simple as balancing. There are many types of learning. Some of which you are painfully aware of, while others happen unbeknownst to conscious thought. Learning can feel as invigorating as a dip in cool refreshing spring water. Or, it can be tedious, repetitive, and time consuming. Each moment is a teachable moment, and we are constantly modeling behaviors and speech for those around us. We are all teachers and students simultaneously, no matter the age.
Personal Life
I'm originally from Wimberley, Texas and have lived in Austin for over a decade now. The cutie in the pictures above is my son Ethan. And, that was our dog Halo; she passed away Jan 2017. In 2018 our family grew to include an English Bull Dog named Charlie. and two cats, Luke and Leah. I love to travel and have visited Spain, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and many other non-Spanish speaking countries.
In addition to teaching and being a mom, I used to own an Ethical and Sustainable clothing store in South Austin called Blue Lux. After 3 years in business, I closed the store in 2017 order to focus on my home life more. Good thing I did, because we just welcomed our second son, Huck Forrest McElroy into the world in June! Pictures to follow soon!
However, eco-friendly and socially conscientious living is still a passion of mine. In my spare time I enjoy reading, movies, swimming and hanging out in my backyard eating popcicles with my little dudes. We moved to Dripping Springs in 2017 after 14 years in Austin.
So, you may run into us at the grocery store or some of the other favorite local hangs!
GO TIGERS!!!
Education & Experience
I attended St. Edward's University for both my undergrad and graduate work. I hold two Bacholor's Degrees, one in Psychology with a focus in Neuroscience and another in International Relations: Latin America.
My graduate work centered around obtaining a Master's in Teaching; specifically EC - 12 Spanish for which I now hold a certificate.
Before coming to Dripping I worked in a Montessori Pre-k setting in Austin. Then during my graduate work I mentored with a teacher at Austin High and completed my student teaching at Bowie.
This is my third year with DSISD. I taught at the middle school for the 2013/2014 school year, and then took some time off to stay home with my son. The 2015/2016 was my first year back to teaching after my maternity leave and was also my first year at the high school. I love working in this school district and look forward to meeting you all!