Ashley Sirls
Background:
I taught in the Seattle Public School system for seven years before a desire to reach families earlier led me to pursue a career as a birth doula and childbirth educator.
I am an Arizona native with a B.A. in Secondary English Education from Arizona State University. I have lived in Seattle for 8 years and received a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction in 2015 from The University of Washington. I entered the birth world in December 2016 with a doula training at the Simkin Center at Bastyr and childbirth education training in April 2017.
Philosophy:
I believe in facilitating rather than teaching. I want all students to gain self-efficacy and knowledge through engaging hands on experience that leave them feeling ready to advocate for themselves.
Family, hobbies:
I enjoy word puzzles, yoga, and my two cats.
Favorite thing about teaching:
I love see the transformation from learner to doer. The moments that students and families are able to apply their new knowledge and skills are my favorite.
Teaching style:
Evidence-based
Passionate
Humorous
Supportive
Is there anything you’d like your students to know about you, or to do prior to coming to class?
Come with an open mind and lots of questions!
What is the most important thing that you hope your students will take away from your class?
Confidence
Community
What would you like to be doing in 5-10 years:
I would love to be doing birth work and education with teens in the greater Seattle area.