About me…
This photo was taken my first year in the classroom, second grade. See that “Everything’s fine!” look on my face? The sign behind me with the pointing finger tells it all. Everything was not fine. I was completely overwhelmed and lost.
My students often felt the same way. They too, regardless of grade band, struggled with being overwhelmed and lost while trying to thrive in a system that still believed in a one-size fits all approach to teaching and learning.
Unfortunately, neither our curriculum or our pedagogy was relevant to our students’ lives. I quickly learned that what I thought I’d learned needed to be unlearned. Over the years I’ve developed my teaching practice to recognize my blindspots, cherish collaboration, and value student input.
What does ‘Mbuyu’ mean?
‘Mbuyu’/ubuyu is the Swahili name for what Europeans would come to know as the Baobab Tree. This unmistakable giant averages nearly 100 feet in height and can store water in its substantial trunk to survive seasons of drought. It’s deciduously, leafless branches give the appearance of a tremendous root system reaching far and wide, such that it is sometimes referred to as the “upside down tree.” Fire resistant and tenacious, the mbuyu can live thousands of years. Also known as the “Tree of Life,” the mbuyu is a source of nourishment, clothing, and shelter for all who gather beneath its massive crown. Its hollowed out trunk is revered as sacred space inside which the keepers of ancestral knowledge, called griots, are sometimes lain to rest.
What People Are Saying…
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Her mentorship of our teachers reflects her empathic and open-hearted approach to her work with all educators
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— Sara E.
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Candyce created a learning experience that was hands-on, phenomenon-based, incorporated literacy strategies, challenged teachers' thinking about the role of student questions in directing classroom learning, and included a field observation.
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— Barbara K.
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I appreciated all of the wonderful resources you shared. I loved how you were able to weave the science and culture so seamlessly!
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— Conference Attendee (Anonymous)
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It was one of the most useful pds I have been to in my 5 years teaching.
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— Teacher Participant (Anonymous)
Conference Presentations
Modeling Cultural Competence through TEK and Formal Education Integration
North American Association of Environmental Educators National Conference [virtual] October 2020
Building the Bond through Family Engagement and Informal Learning
Co-presenter: Nicole Marcellin National Science Teachers Association National Conference Atlanta, GA March 2018
Frankenstruction: Hybridizing Literacy and Science
Co-presenter: Lauren Bell Tecosky National Science Teachers Association National Conference Los Angeles, CA March 2017
Is it Spring Yet? Field Studies with Middle School Citizen Scientists
Co-presenters: Judith Hutton, Deborah Sarria, Marsha Wallace National Science Teachers Association National Conference Nashville, TN March/April 2016
Enlisting Formal Educators as Partners in Conservation
Co-presenters: Judith Hutton, Dena Lind Botanic Gardens Conservation International 9th Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens April 2015
“The goal of teaching
is not to explain all the answers…
but to develop & inspire
the minds that will find them.”
Chat with me
How can I help you grow and strengthen your practice?