Meet the Teacher

Ms. Thelma brings over 12 years of experience as a Teacher Assistant and one year of experience as a Behavior Technician, supporting tender-age children and teenagers in both academic and behavioral settings.  She applies a trauma-informed care approach to create safe, supportive, and understanding learning environments where students feel valued and empowered to succeed.  Her experience allows her to support children through individualized learning, promoting positive behavior strategies, and collaborating with educators and families to meet each student’s unique needs.

As an early childhood and art educator with over 11 years of experience, Ms. Lauren believes that every child learns best in an environment where they feel seen, supported, and valued. She has had the privilege of working with children and families from many different backgrounds and settings, and this diversity continues to shape her approach to teaching.

Ms. Lauren’s philosophy centers on integrating social-emotional learning with academic growth, recognizing that both are essential to a child’s overall development. She strives to create learning experiences that nurture curiosity, creativity, and confidence while also building empathy and emotional awareness. Collaboration with families is at the heart of her work—she believes through working together, Ms. Lauren, her students, and their families can create individualized goals that honor each child’s strengths and support their unique academic, emotional, and social needs. 

Coming from a Spanish-speaking household, Ms. Torres understood from a young age the importance of teachers’ efforts in teaching her a second language and curriculum in kindergarten. This experience later inspired her to pursue a career in education. Some of her work experience includes volunteering in kindergarten to 8th-grade Special Education and General Education classrooms and working at The Excel Center at Kids Excel. This opportunity broadened her understanding of early childhood education and reinforced the importance of providing learning opportunities for children from an early age. Ms. Torres strongly believes that students should be capable of overcoming obstacles and striving for success in areas they feel passionate about. They should be able to dream freely and learn how to give back to our community, thereby valuing and understanding the power of education. Ms. Torres is excited to join Spark and continue growing, providing a safe, creative, fun, and positive environment for her students.

Ms. Turner is passionate about guiding students through the transformative years of middle school. Originally from Louisiana, she brings warmth, grit, and a strong sense of community into everything she does, both inside and outside the classroom. With a solid background in childcare and education, she combines structure and energy with a deeply personal approach to teaching.

She believes middle school is a defining time for helping students build confidence, think critically, and take ownership of their learning. Her classroom is a space where students are challenged, supported, respected, and where curiosity is encouraged and growth is expected.

Ms. Turner is committed to fostering not just academic success, but also emotional and social development.

She’s excited to grow alongside her students and families this year, not just as a classroom, but as a community.

Growing up as the oldest child out of 5 siblings, a spark was ignited within Ms. Ely to understand the growth of children both mentally and emotionally. She started my career in daycare with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, where she loved being creative with them and seeing the many directions their creativity would take them. In 2024, she joined The Excel Center working in the toddlers’ room. When she was given the opportunity to work with older children, she knew she had to take it, as she is not only teaching and helping them learn, but they are also helping her discover new things and grow as an educator.

During my time out of class, she likes to spend time with her family and partner, whether it be enjoying new and old adventures to staying home and playing games.

Angela received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Psychology and is currently pursuing a Masters in Counseling. Some of her research interests include developing counseling techniques, specifically for underrepresented individuals. She adopts a humanistic approach, which allows her to address the unique educational needs of distinct populations. In her free time, Angela enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with loved ones.

Mr. C is a certified educator with 13 years of experience facilitating youth leadership and learning for grades Pre K – 12.

He received a BSEd in Secondary Education – Biology with a minor in Women and Gender Studies from Northern Arizona University. Mr. C has over a decade of experience implementing and sharing trauma-informed practices through non-profit work to combat risk factors for youth across Tempe and Phoenix.

Mr. C continues to expand content areas and is currently teaching high school student at Spark Community School. A native Phoenician, he takes great pride in giving back to the communities that have upheld him.

Ms. Jen’s work experience includes before and after-school program care with training in adult education, curriculum, classroom building, and teamwork. A lifelong learner, Ms. Jen believes that engaging, fun, and interactive learning is the key to success, whether for children or adults.

Ms. Jen looks forward to this chapter in her career working with the Spark Community team, students, and their families to be able to contribute to a diverse and inclusive environment.

Mrs. Yanof came to Arizona in 2003 after finishing college at Georgetown University.  She joined Teach For America teaching 8th graders in the Roosevelt School District.  After four years teaching, Mrs. Yanof designed and established Phoenix Collegiate Academy- a charter school that promised every student a pathway to postsecondary success.  Phoenix Collegiate Academy grew under her leadership to three schools serving over 650 students preK-12th grade. From there, Mrs. Yanof was the founding leader of Achieve60AZ- the statewide postsecondary attainment goal of 60%.  Now, given her experience in early childhood learning through workforce placement, Mrs. Yanof fills her time supporting education initiatives that help students and families in Arizona.  She and Joe have three middle school age kiddos who keep them humble and tired.

Ms. Darla’s 25-year educational journey began as a classroom teacher and evolved into coaching as a master teacher, serving in leadership roles as an Assistant Principal, and Principal of PK-8 schools in Phoenix, AZ.

Fluent in Spanish with specialized endorsements in bilingual/multicultural education and early childhood literacy, her lifelong dedication to education began when, on her first day of kindergarten, she declared her ambition to become a teacher–a dream she relentlessly pursued. Holding a Master’s in Education Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University, her expertise is a fusion of passion and formal training in specialized fields.