Bio

Laura has been an educator for ten years in both Philadelphia and New York City. She began her teaching career helping English Language Learners find their voices and tell their stories. She has spent the last four years in kindergarten--teaching and learning! Currently pursuing a masters in literacy, she has a passion for any words between covers, but especially for Elephant and Piggie. When not at school, Laura sews, knits, and hikes in the park with her family. She lives with her husband and two sons, who claim that she is their "second-favorite teacher."

"I am over the moon to join the Portfolio family. I have been so inspired in all my conversations with the team--and I have never had so much fun in a job interview before! I was lucky enough to visit the school in person and see the students eagerly engaged in their work. I wanted to sit down and join them! I am looking forward to growing with the community!"

Bio

Katie has over eleven years of experience teaching multiple age groups in NYC, most notably at the Blue School before joining Portfolio. Katie is very excited to bring her experience with both project based learning and emergent curriculum into the classroom and to use the knowledge to best support her students in discovering everything that sparks joy for them! A huge fan and participant in the arts, Katie enjoys incorporating everything from theatre, dance, drawing and painting, creative writing and singing into both her daily classroom life and all projects. Katie is passionate about teaching and integrating daily mindfulness meditation practices, as well as focusing on the whole child, social emotional learning and creating a joyful and vibrant atmosphere full of collaboration and discovery.

Katie holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Pratt Institute and an M.Ed from Hunter College. She also studied improv comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade theatre for over five years, so expect the unexpected!

Bio

Jordan believes that learning should hold real-world application and spark creative, passionate pursuits for students of all ages, connecting to the world around us. This is Jordan’s fifth year teaching in New York City, having previously taught in Sydney and London. While Jordan enjoys teaching all subjects, he has most recently been exploring computational thinking and how to integrate the principles of CT into projects with students.

In his free time, Jordan plays the violin and is an avid cycler.

He is excited to join the Portfolio team and can’t wait to start building the middle school program in collaboration with the staff, the families, and, most of all, the students!

Education

BA, English History

MA, Education

Bio

David is formerly an Art Instructor and School Partnership Specialist at the Beam Center, where he has partnered with teachers at many schools to integrate new media art techniques into their school curricula. He has worked at Beam for the past five years. He also served as the Digital Fabrication and Photography Teacher at Brooklyn Friends School for two years, and as the Photography Assistant Teacher in the International Center of Photography’s Teen Academy and Adult Programs for two years.

Education
Marlboro College
BA, Sculpture & American Studies

He has also completed additional course work at the Rhode Island School of Design, Portland School of Craft, the School of Visual Arts, and the Massachusetts College of Art.

Bio

Christina Graham is an artist educator born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Painting in 2011, and is currently a MFA candidate at the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College. Prior to joining the Portfolio team, Christina taught with Studio in a School NYC and Wet Paint Art Studio, and has prior work experience in communications and design. Christina has been included in group and solo exhibitions in NYC, Philadelphia, and Atlanta, and has been artist-in-residence at Vermont Studio Center, Trestle Artist Residency, and the Cuttyhunk Island Artist Residency. Christina considers herself to be a (sometimes very theatrical and improvisational) facilitator in the collaborative effort of learning among her students and fellow teachers. She encourages young thinkers to experiment with materials, interrogate their own assumptions, and practice kind, open-minded curiosity.

Bio

Raised in Columbus, Ohio, Kevin spent 15 years competing as a springboard diver, and 6 years coaching age-group diving. He is highly motivated by learning, problem-solving, and fun, and he brings these qualities to his day-to-day responsibilities at Portfolio. Kevin resides in Manhattan and somehow has managed to not kill his collection of 40+ plants.