Aileen Gendrano Adao is a Filipina-American mother, scholar, and teacher from Los Angeles. She has been teaching for over 15 years, most recently teaching 10th grade English. She received her B.A. in English Education from Cal State Long Beach and her M.Ed from UCLA. As someone who believes in constantly learning and growing in her practice, she received National Board Certification in English Language Arts and recently completed Breathe for Change’s Yoga and Socio-Emotional Wellness Program for educators. She was recognized as one of LAUSD’s 2018 Teachers of the Year. Her pedagogy can be described as a balance of examining rigorous, complex text while providing nurturing, student-centered, community work grounded in social-justice and social-emotional learning strategies. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, crafting with her toddlers, and drinking green tea boba.