Amanda Knox, BS

Born and raised in Orange County, Amanda spent her summers at the seashore, in the mountains and across the deserts, which sparked an appreciation and respect for nature that has been nurtured into adulthood. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology Education at California State University in Long Beach in 2002 and has been an educator in various capacities ever since.

She first served as a teacher of Earth and Physical Sciences at a private school in Tustin in 2001-2002. She began homeschooling her four sons in 2008 and has been enjoying that privilege ever since. Amanda studied both the Classical and Charlotte Mason philosophies of education and established an informal learning group with friends and family which took weekly nature walks, created nature journals, and studied the arts. She went on to facilitate Nature Studies Enrichment classes at various learning centers and homeschool co-ops in Orange County, and in 2016 she joined the amazing team at Terra Arts where she has been teaching science as part of Thy Ancient, Thy Medieval, Thy American, Thy Age of Discovery, and Thy Modern Experiences. In addition to classroom teaching, Amanda has spent time volunteering as a docent in the Butterfly House at the Environmental Nature Center and continues to take her children on as many nature hikes and camping trips as possible.

Emphasizing movement, inquiry, and exploration, she strives to create an environment wherein students are inspired and motivated to learn while harnessing their own unique strengths and learning styles. She allows time and room for freedom of expression and encourages investigation, teamwork, careful observation, ownership, growth, and stewardship. Her desire is to see her students engage with and gain a deeper understanding of science and nature, make discoveries, and become life-long learners as they cultivate a sense of the valuable impact they have on the world around them.

Contact: amandaknox@terraarts.org