Devora Kaufman

	Educational Specialist Email Here Phone: 707.845.6763

Preferred Student Grade Level :

• K-12

Geographic Area :

• Fortuna - Trinidad

Credentials:

• California Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential
  

Bio:

I have lived in Humboldt Country since 1984 and am happy to consider this beautiful place my home. When my son Demian was young, I was a bit of a world traveler, spending winters in Mexico, Guatemala, and Hawaii and really enjoyed interacting with people in many small villages. My first career was being a fiber artist and traveling to craft fairs. Crafting tie-dye clothing was a perfect work at home job which enabled me to be there when my son came home from school and to take my family to wonderful festivals in California and Oregon.
Besides making crafts, my delight and favorite exercise was Middle-eastern dance. I was both a performer and a teacher.  I came to teaching through my love for instructing a group of eight year old girls in dance.  My children's troupe and adult troupe performed for festivals and benefits in Southern Humboldt for a couple of years.
Because of my travels to Latin America, I took years of conversational Spanish through the CR branch campus in Redway, and these delightful classes inspired me to go to school fulltime. I commuted to CR for two years, preparing myself for the BA program at HSU and taking even more Spanish classes.  I moved to Arcata and attended HSU for 4 years, majoring in elementary education and minoring in theater. I learned so many things including: the art and theater of Bali, the importance of bilingual education, and Multiple Intelligence Theory, which recognizes the many forms of intelligence that we all have. The professors in the credential program at HSU included the late Eric Rofes, who taught me that it is best to "manage" a classroom through gentleness and consistency.
I have been blessed to both be able to stay in Humboldt County and to work in my chosen field. I have worked at Mattole Valley Charter School since 2002.  I also spent 3 years teaching part time through Castle Rock Charter School.  I enjoy the one on one style of teaching that is the trademark of our individualized learning program. For 6 years, I have been honored to form relationships with my students and families and to help my students to accomplish their school goals and to nourish their talents. Although my training was mostly in elementary education, I have enjoyed working with students in grades K-12.  It has been a pleasure to graduate many students for whom independent study has enabled them to complete their studies while participating in their family and community life.
I also teach small group classes in arts and crafts, Spanish, Language Arts, Music Appreciation.  If there is a class that you would like for your child, get in touch and I will try to make it happen.
In my personal life, I am now raising my eight year-old stepson Hunter and love being a mother. My family loves to bicycle and swim. We also participate every year in the Kinetic Sculpture Race and we love the creativity of that event. For the past three years, I have been singing with the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir and singing with this community gives me great joy.
        In my teaching career, I try to meet your children where they are at in their life and studies. We create an individual plan based on both state standards and personal interests.