Becca Wilcox
About Me
Becca, short for Rebecca (she/her/hers)
I always knew that I wanted to work in a field that would support the incomparable work of teachers and educators of all types. I grew up with a profound respect for educators and a passion for learning. For me, the best part about working within the education field is the opportunity for lifelong learning. From content to pedagogical theory to the application of knowledge, there is always more to know. All of my experiences have been fantastic learning opportunities that have made me the educator and learner I am today. Currently, I'm working as a 1st-grade teacher and earning my multiple-subject teaching credential.
I bring enthusiasm, passion, and focus to all my projects and revel in the details. I love exploring educational technologies and finding creative solutions. I am continually seeking out resources to ensure that my teaching practices align with anti-racist and anti-bias values and strategies. I believe this is essential for all people and children, and it will lead us to a more just and equitable world.
When I'm not teaching or designing curriculum, you can usually find me wandering museum galleries (online and in-person!), hiking with my dog, or working on a craft project (usually something needle-felted!).
“Knowledge rooted in experience shapes what we value and as a consequence how we know what we know as well as how we use what we know."
― bell hooks, Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom
Work Experience & Education
Workshops Director
Makers Mess
Spearheaded a desirable, unique, creative, and profitable Makers & Guest Workshops schedule. Manage roughly 4-6 public workshops monthly. Collaborated with PR Director to develop and streamline publications and maintain constant communication about new workshops and availability. Develop a workshop curriculum grounded in andragogy and art education that incorporates experiential learning and community building that meets and exceeds client goals and expectations. Hire, onboard, and train instructors in relevant art education techniques; ensure proper execution of Makers Mess signature workshops and compliance with best practices. Manage a group of 5+ freelance and staff instructors. advocated for and launched store transition to a new e-commerce platform, Shopify. Generate and maintain sales and attendance reports; identify data trends and develop an informed customer retainment strategy. Overhauled company inventory management and spearheaded transition to Shopventory. Developed and codified naming conventions and formalized inventory management procedures. Manage inventory data for over 40,000 products and supplies.
School Programs Coordinator
La Brea Tar Pits & Museum
Design and facilitate in-person and virtual field trips and school programs for the 40,000+ annual student visitors (grades PreK-12) to La Brea Tar Pits & Museum. Develop resources and curricula for teachers and students crafted to connect classroom lessons with museum experiences. Continually evaluate and update programs to ensure a student-centered, empathetic approach. Implement and oversee educator professional development workshops and special school programs for homeschool or other non-traditional students. Maintained newsletter communication through Mailchimp for multiple audiences of 500+. Assisted with the transition to virtual field trips during the COVID-19 Pandemic; trained fellow educators on best practices, and managed the School Programs Zoom account. Researched and advocated for the best digital scheduling options for teachers to arrange virtual field trips during the pandemic.
Museum Education Coordinator
The Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage
Planned and implemented interpretive programs for the Arcadia Museum, addressing historic and cultural topics for various audiences with an emphasis on educational services for students and teachers; and oversaw docent recruitment, training, and scheduling. Scheduled and facilitated on and off-site school visits. Planned, marketed, organized, and supervised museum programs and educational events for adults and children. Designed 15+ annual pieces of educational collateral for monthly programs and teacher guides.
Gallery Educator
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Developed and implemented standards-aligned, object-based, interactive gallery lessons for a diverse group of elementary and middle school students as part of LACMA's mobile programs: Ancient World Mobile and Maya Mobile.
Youth & Family Programs Educator
Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
Facilitated three single-‐visit weekend programs for a variety of audiences: Girl Scouts Juniors “Her Story, Your Toolbox: Overcoming Stereotypes”; Girl Scouts Brownies “A Patchwork of Girls: How Portraits Tell Stories”; and Portrait Story Days. All programs required facilitating discussions based on observations made about portraits within the galleries. Encouraged participants to make meaningful connections to their own experiences and facilitated a related activity to enrich their experience.
Educator
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC)
Developed and implemented learning experiences in a museum and classroom setting. Documented developmental milestones and maintained student portfolios, and maintain open communication with parents.
Education
Master of Arts in Museum Studies, 2011
Johns Hopkins University
Emphasis in museum education and digital education strategies.
Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology, 2009
University of Redlands
Emphasis in Cultural Anthropology