Alice believes that inviting moments of levity into rigorous study honors students as whole human beings – it also invites deeper engagement and greater retention.

In one student’s words: “Ms. TJ, of all our teachers you expect the most out of us, but you also let us have the most fun.”

Each student brings their own interests, curiosities, hopes, and personality to their learning; the dance of improvising with students’ innate magic in service of their lives and their learning energizes Alice.

Alice has over fifteen years of experience teaching and tutoring students of all ages, from early childhood education through undergraduate-level coursework. She graduated magna cum laude and first in her department with a BA in Modern Languages and Literature from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, and then completed a multiple-subject teaching credential at Cal Poly. Alice also holds a professional coaching credential (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation.

Alice blends coaching skills into her work with students to support them through confidence development, mindset shifts, and the self-discovery necessary for many genres of writing, including personal essays.

She works with students from kindergarten through university and specializes in language arts, from pre-literacy skills and reading to advanced formal and creative writing and literary analysis. Alice also supports students across all levels of Spanish, beginning levels of French, and all subject areas from kindergarten through third grade. She also enjoys teaching executive functioning skills as they relate to important study skills.

When Alice isn’t working, she’s typically playing outside in nature – climbing, surfing, mountain biking, or skateboarding. She recently tried snowboarding for the first time and fell in love. She also fell on the snow. A lot.

For Alice, a growth mindset isn’t just a philosophy to support academic learning; it’s also a tool to create tremendous freedom in all areas of life. She wants every single student she works with to learn, embody, and take with them the freedom and adventure of giving themselves full permission to become skilled at something through dedicated practice, no matter how well – or how poorly – something goes the first time around.