Arjunia Oakley Introduction
Hello,
I am very excited about this trip and look forward to getting to know everyone. I am Arjunia Oakley. I am Palestinian but was born in Amman, Jordan. My parents immigrated to the US when I was 2 years old. At that
time, the push in education was to concentrate on one language so my parents were encouraged by the schools (that my older siblings were attending) NOT to teach me to speak Arabic. Fortunately, they continuted to speak Arabic at home and with family. As a result, I learned to understand Arabic but not to speak Arabic and my Arabic language skills are limited.
I have been teaching in Montgomery County Public Schools for 5 years. I am a Special education teacher and have taught primarily Math and Reading/Language Arts in a general education and self-contained classrooms. I started in elementary school, and moved to Middle school where I was able to co-teach World Studies in addition to Reading. My current assignment is in a High school where I will co-teach English, and teach a reading intervention program.
I received an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland and a Masters degree in Education from Johns Hopkins University. I love working in Special education but hate the paperwork. I hope to eventually go into teacher training/education either within MCPS or elsewhere. I love to read, take long walks and practice yoga. I am married to a Jazz musician, so I also love going out to hear local artists play.