HI THERE!
My name is Karin Valk. I am a former international school teacher, specializing in second or additional language acquisition, and a certified embodiment coach.
I hope to inspire you to connect to yourself and your child(ren) in a fun and meaningful way. I wish for all children and their caregivers to have the tools to express themselves, no matter their language background.
I love exploring and creating new things. This blog and the resources I share here are a reflection of what I know and continue to learn about, in the hopes of making this journey to a happier and more loving life easier and fun for you!
Resources you can find here:
- Embodiment exercises
- EAL and ESL worksheets for home learning
- EAL and ESL worksheets for classrooms
- Teacher resources for embodiment with children
- Parent resources for embodiment with children
Context is essential. When expressing emotions, learning about ourselves or others. Whether it is cultural, linguistic, or simply the moment… Context changes the game.
Facts about me:
I have two awesome children who I love more than anything.
As a child, I was obsessed with orcas and wanted to become a marine biologist. Confession: whenever orcas are mentioned, I still – in my 30s – need to stop myself from blurting out “fun facts”.
That same child, at about 15 years old, screamed her lungs out when she and her friend swam in the ocean and she suddenly realized it was deep and dark. I frantically swam back to the beach which was SO far away (really not that far, and my friend and I still laugh about it now, almost 20 years later). Goodbye, marine biologist career.
I love to draw, which I don’t do as often as I’d like. My dad taught me when I was a kid and got me these books to draw animals step-by-step. Those are some of my favorite childhood memories.
Languages fascinate me. I am amazed every time by how quickly and easily people connect through shared languages, and how much it can tell us about culture and history.
I have been excited about creating a children’s journal, with my own illustrations, and I am telling you, one day, I will hold an actual published copy in my hands.
