AmyWatson

I'm from California originally, but moved all over the US.  I landed in NC for most of middle and high school and for my college education too.  I have a BS in Biology with a focus in Field Ecology and Environmental Studies.  I have a Masters in the Art of Teaching - a "back door" route for people like me who never thought they wanted to be a teacher and ended up finding that's where they belonged later in their careers.
I've taught middle and high school science (everything but AP Chemistry and Physics!) for 7 years, and about half the class sections I've taught have been inclusion or life skills science courses.  That was before the birth of my son with Prader Willi Syndrome. I've been a stay-at-home mom and full-time care-giver since then, but hope to return to the classroom at least part time in some capacity when he's older and his older sister (7) is too.  At the moment, I'm learning all I can, both so I can fight for my son's needs and so I can (hopefully) help others in the PWS community. Our kids have some pretty unique needs that aren't always easy to get the schools to understand so our support forums are constantly filled with "They aren't following his IEP....now what?" or "This isn't working - how do I get them to understand PWS so we can fix it?"  My district has never had a kid with PWS before, so it's been a challenge.

When I'm not being a mom, an educator, and a care-giver, I love reading.  Science Fiction, Fantasy, and history are my favorites, especially books that bridge genres to explain connections between, for example, the discovery of the verdant Scheler's Green and the uptick in arsenic poisoning or the extreme cold temperatures of the Russian Steppes and the failure of the tin buttons on Napoleon's army uniforms.  I love trivia too - random factoids fascinate me.   And I love crafting.  I paint (water colors and acrylics mostly), do calligraphy with dip pens, embroider, and make things people will USE.  I also do a lot of journaling.  Once upon a time I wanted to write and illustrate children's books, and maybe some day I still will.