Amalia M.

Education

College of Creative Studies, UC Santa Barbara,
B.A. in Painting

School of Visual Arts,
Masters in Fine Arts

Professional Childcare Experience

Preschool Teacher
Berkeley, CA, 09/13 - 07/14
Students, ages 1 through 4

Tutor and Mentor
Oakland, CA, 09/13 - 07/14
One girl, age 13

Babysitter
Santa Barbara, CA, 01/13 - 06/13
One girl, age 4 and one boy, age 2

Babysitter/Mother and Father's Helper
Emeryville, CA, 01/10 - 07/10
Infant triplets, newborn

Other Experience

Server at Bashi Channel
Brooklyn, NY, 01/15 - 12/15

Gallery Assistant
New York, NY, 06/15 - 09/15

Tutor for Writing Resource Center at SVA
New York, NY, 09/14 - 07/15

Life Painting and Drawing Teacher
Santa Barbara, CA, 04/11 - 06/13

Server at Cafe Ghia
Brooklyn, NY, Present - 12/-1

About me

I was born and raised in Berkeley, California and have spent much of my life traveling, including studying abroad in both Spain and Brazil. I recently graduate from the MFA Fine Arts program from the School of Visual Arts, in NYC. Painting has been an integral part of my life. I focus on painting the figure, and explore issues of gender, emotion, and the human experience. I graduated with a painting major from the College of Creative Studies, UCSB. I also studied classical guitar for over 11 years. I enjoy a writing practice both in academics and as a hobby. I have written and studied poetry, performed spoken word, as well as performed in several professional plays. I have always enjoyed working in theatre as an actor, choreographer, and set designer. I am trained mainly in ensemble work, which is all about creating and developing as a group.

I have been working with children for about twelve years, and find with each child it is always a new, rewarding experience. Unhindered imagination is a big part of my art practice, and I truly value a child's ability to express and explore. When I work with children it is about an exchange of ideas and learning, rather than assuming a role of authority. I am always fascinated by the diverse ways each child learns. I believe in getting to know a child, and encouraging their individualized growth. I have experience working with infant triplets all the way to tutoring teens in all school subjects.


I have professional child care experience with...

  • Check Icon
    Infants
  • Check Icon
    Toddlers
  • Check Icon
    Preschoolers
  • Check Icon
    School-aged (K-5)
  • Check Icon
    Preteen
  • Check Icon
    Teenagers
  • Check Icon
    Twins
  • Check Icon
    Multiples
  • Check Icon
    Special Needs

In 5 years, I hope to be...

I have chosen a career of art making. I am fully committed to an art practice and in five years I hope to be teaching on a college level. I know I will continue to work with children, whether that is through art classes or starting a family of my own.

Activities & skills I love to teach & share with children...

I believe in a play-based learning method. Children have the skills to explore and investigate, and I like to provide the resources for them to do this. This can mean setting up stations with different tools, providing paints, or reading books together. There is never one specific end goal - the child creates the goal. The same can be applied to older children or even teens. I prefer asking questions as a method of teaching, so that the student can build their own methods of learning and understanding. I also always love to integrate my theatre and art background. This can be through playing pretend, or helping a student complete a project for school. I try to individualize my time with each child, depending on whether they are highly active, or prefer more time reading and talking.