Deborah Hale
Executive Director, Intermediate Classroom HomeroomTeacher, Primary Classroom Literacy, Bus Driver
Deborah is our Intermediate teacher of 2nd and 3rd grades. Deborah is also the founder, owner, and director of Inside Outside School. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Education from North Texas State, a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas State, and is Texas Teacher Certified for grades K-8. She has 37 years of teaching experience in private, public, and charter schools. She is a Kagan trained instructor in cooperative learning and multiple intelligences. She is a writer, storyteller, singer/songwriter, artist, puppeteer, jewelry designer, doll maker, and more. In her spare time, Deborah is the Children’s Program Director at the Church of Conscious Harmony and is a Godly Play facilitator and meditation instructor. She also enjoys spending time with her family, including her 6 children and 6 grandchildren. Deborah is the author of
Math Trails and Other Outside Math Adventures.
www.amazon.com/dp/B06WGTC6KB
Visit Deborah's classroom page
Math Trails and Other Outside Math Adventures.
www.amazon.com/dp/B06WGTC6KB
Visit Deborah's classroom page
Erin Johnston
Assistant Director, Upper Classroom Literacy & Social Studies Teacher
Erin joined the IOS staff in the 2015-2016 school year and is the Assistant Director, classroom teacher of the 5th grade class, Electives Teacher, and mom of an IOS Alumni. Erin graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's of Science in Applied Learning and Development and is an EC-4 Texas Certified teacher. She has been in training and education for over 2 decades in various settings, including public and progressive private schools, as well as a short time as director and co-owner of a mixed age progressive school for 4-7 year olds. She has mentored teachers, parents, and homeschool groups to infuse the science of learning environments into creating supportive spaces that encourage students of all ages to enjoy the pursuit of learning. Erin is a self-proclaimed lifelong learner who enjoys writing, reading, and all things Pinterest in her spare time and spending her weekends with her family.
Sarah Graham
Upper Classroom Science & Math Teacher
Sarah started her teaching career as a nature-based educator, leading programs at summer camps, through 4H, at the Mo Ranch Environmental Leadership Program, and at the Austin Nature and Science Center. After becoming a certified teacher, she taught 6th - 8th grade science classes at schools in AISD. She transitioned to the Austin Jewish Academy and added math and health classes to her repertoire.
Sarah is certified in Science 4th-8th, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Special Education (SPED).
Sarah's educational approach is focused on generating and cultivating student enthusiasm in order to connect with the material they are learning. She works to make complex concepts accessible and enjoyable for all ages. She's thrilled to be joining the team at IOS, and learning and growing as a teacher in this community. Sarah is also a certified yoga and prenatal yoga teacher, a rescue-level scuba diver, and homesteader. She runs a small farm called SHAMBA and has dairy goats, bees, chickens, ducks, geese, and a large garden.
Sarah is certified in Science 4th-8th, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Special Education (SPED).
Sarah's educational approach is focused on generating and cultivating student enthusiasm in order to connect with the material they are learning. She works to make complex concepts accessible and enjoyable for all ages. She's thrilled to be joining the team at IOS, and learning and growing as a teacher in this community. Sarah is also a certified yoga and prenatal yoga teacher, a rescue-level scuba diver, and homesteader. She runs a small farm called SHAMBA and has dairy goats, bees, chickens, ducks, geese, and a large garden.
Laurie Rose
Primary Class Homeroom Teacher, Intermediate Class Math Teacher
Laurie and her energetic 4th grader are both joining IOS in fall 2021. Laurie has a masters in Education from UT Austin, and she has worked with children in many capacities, such as: caring for preschoolers; directing a before-and-after school program in a public K-5 elementary school; advising children, families, and volunteers at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central TX; and working with children at Helping Hand Home, a residential treatment center for victims of abuse and neglect.
Favorite things to do include: spending time with family, comprised of two kids and two COVID kittens; crosswords, Scrabble, Boggle, and assorted other word games; and reading kids’ books (and sometimes books for grownups).
Favorite things to do include: spending time with family, comprised of two kids and two COVID kittens; crosswords, Scrabble, Boggle, and assorted other word games; and reading kids’ books (and sometimes books for grownups).
Cristine East
Administrative Coordinator, Librarian
As the Administrative Coordinator, Cristine is the support person for the teachers at the Inside Outside School. She enjoys collaborating with the staff so that they can focus on the most important job of teaching our students. She is responsible for enrollment, communications, purchasing, and more.
In addition, Cristine is the school librarian and connects with our students through weekly read alouds. Both Cristine’s mother and mother-in-law are librarians, and she grew up spending her Saturdays in the library as her mother worked.
In her free time, Cristine loves to sit under a tree, with her toes in the grass, and her nose in a good book. She is also mother to two wonderful boys who are currently enrolled at IOS.
In addition, Cristine is the school librarian and connects with our students through weekly read alouds. Both Cristine’s mother and mother-in-law are librarians, and she grew up spending her Saturdays in the library as her mother worked.
In her free time, Cristine loves to sit under a tree, with her toes in the grass, and her nose in a good book. She is also mother to two wonderful boys who are currently enrolled at IOS.
Becky Jones
Primary Class Teaching Assistant
Becky grew up on a farm in Iowa, benefiting from an enriching childhood of exploration with her sisters on 100 acres full of sheep, cows, horses, chickens, prairie grass and trees. Today, she is a mom of two fabulous kids in a suburban house crowded with pets. Becky graduated from University of Iowa in 2001 with Bachelor’s of Liberal Arts in Art and Sociology, and a minor in Spanish. After graduating, she served as a volunteer art educator to schools and after-school programs, as well as volunteering in space-beautification projects as a muralist. In 2015, Becky began working in classrooms as a substitute teacher throughout the Leander Independent School District, before getting hired by Ada Mae Faubion Elementary in 2017 as a Special Education Instructional Assistant. She resigned in 2021 to pursue her teaching certification, where she will combine her two passions, teaching and art.
Carol Teitelman
Intermediate Class Teaching Assistant, Substitute Teacher
Carol started at IOS as a grandparent volunteer for Fiber Crafting. She has a career in education beginning decades ago and has taught all grades from Kindergarten through Masters level classes in Education and Ed Tech. She holds certificates for elementary school grades as well as Instructional Tech certificates and Secondary Principal. Her passion is developing a thirst for knowledge in those she meets whether they are 5 or 95. She is currently “retired” and busy with grandchildren, fiber crafts, travel and reading. She is thrilled to be working with the intermediate class to discover the wonders of math.
Jordan Molina
Teaching Assistant, Substitute Teacher
Born and raised in Texas, Jordan grew up visiting her grandparent's farm where she gained an admiration for nature. Coming from a large homeschooled family, she's had to take care of her little siblings from a young age, which has given her a natural calling to childcare. At 17, Jordan started teaching piano to kids of all ages (even adults!) and took on many babysitting and nanny jobs. After high-school, she began her college education at Austin Community College and has been working towards a degree in Early Education. Music and learning have been lifelong passions of hers, which she enjoys sharing with everyone, young and old! Jordan started working at the school in the beginning of 2022 and has enjoyed assisting in Nature Literacy.
Amber Nichols (she/her)
Music Teacher
Amber is a lover of music and a fearless lifelong learner. Amber created tuneBugz! In 2009 to be in partnership with parents in supporting musical growth in children from birth. Amber is a passionate song carrier sharing songs, dances, rhythms from around the world. Amber is a licensed Music Together provider and is honored to be in partnership with Sara Hickman to bring a bit of Texas Music History to life at IOS.
Amber plays guitar, djembe, banjo-lele (thanks Covid) & studies voice and community song healing with Susan Lincoln. Amber is an entrepreneur, a life partner to Dan, Mom to 3 humans (Linc, Henry & Milton), 1 ferret (Jerry) and 1 cat (Banjo).
Visit Amber’s community music school here: www.tuneBugz.com
Visit Amber’s Linked-in page here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberpnichols/
Amber plays guitar, djembe, banjo-lele (thanks Covid) & studies voice and community song healing with Susan Lincoln. Amber is an entrepreneur, a life partner to Dan, Mom to 3 humans (Linc, Henry & Milton), 1 ferret (Jerry) and 1 cat (Banjo).
Visit Amber’s community music school here: www.tuneBugz.com
Visit Amber’s Linked-in page here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberpnichols/
Dr. Tom Hale
Grounds Man of Mystery, Builder of All Things Awesome
Principal horn of the Austin Symphony and Austin Lyric Opera and performs with orchestras in Houston, San Antonio, Victoria and Laredo Member of the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Charleston, South Carolina, and Spoleto, Italy, since 1987 as both performer and conductor. Has worked in the “emergency conductor” capacity on numerous occasions to great acclaim. Served on the faculties of the University of Texas, Southwest Texas State University and Southwestern University in Georgetown.
Founding member of the Pinnacle Brass Quintet and the Wild Basin Winds and performs regularly with the Chamber Soloists of Austin, the Victoria Bach Festival, Bear Valley Music Festival, and A. Mozart Fest Educated at Texas Tech University (B.ME., M.M.) and the University of Texas (D.M.A.)
Tom maintains the campus and builds very cool things like donkey barns, goat sheds and outside classroom spaces.
Founding member of the Pinnacle Brass Quintet and the Wild Basin Winds and performs regularly with the Chamber Soloists of Austin, the Victoria Bach Festival, Bear Valley Music Festival, and A. Mozart Fest Educated at Texas Tech University (B.ME., M.M.) and the University of Texas (D.M.A.)
Tom maintains the campus and builds very cool things like donkey barns, goat sheds and outside classroom spaces.