Welcome to 5th Grade!

Hello. My name is Sabina Vaswani and I started my teaching career in 2014 as a Learning Expert Teacher at Basis Oro Valley. After a year at Basis, I taught 3rd grade for 4 years at Green Fields School before starting at IA. This is my 5th year teaching at Innovation Academy. I believe teaching is a two-way street where I teach and learn from my students. I believe in order to have a positive and enriching learning environment, positive interactions with students and families are essential. 

In my free time, I love spending time with my husband and daughter, cooking, and traveling. 

Why did I choose teaching as my profession?

I remember, after studying Psychology, I spent a lot of time observing and interacting with people from all walks of life, not really knowing what my future had in store for me. All I knew was that I wanted to be surrounded by children, as I admired their innocence and free-spirited personalities.  During my first month as a preschool aide, I distinctly remember a little boy looking at me as soon as I entered the classroom. Throughout the day, he did not say a word. He just held my hand and accompanied me everywhere I went. I felt an instant connection with him and later on, I got to learn that he did not know English and he could only communicate in Spanish. Luckily, I started communicating with him in Spanish, and, for the rest of our time together, we were best buddies. I realized during my time at the preschool that non-verbal communication is as important as verbal communication. Making a connection with kids and providing them with a solid foundation that will help them in the future is something I believe to be essential in any environment. 

Education Degrees and Certifications

• BA in Psychology with a minor in Media Communications from Webster University, London

• MA in Language, Reading, and Culture from the University of Arizona