IRENE GREAVES

Lovescaper
Author & Founder

“Lovescaping® has been a process of turning practice into theory and then back into practice. I looked at my experiences to uncover the components that made love possible. That is how the fifteen pillars revealed themselves, and I aim to embody them in all my daily actions. But in order for me to share my love with the world, I had to go beyond embodying it to explaining and teaching it in a very intentional way. This is how the Lovescaping® classes came to be- creating a curriculum based on teaching the fifteen pillars in order for us to practice love in action. Writing my Lovescaping® book was another way to turn practice into theory, leave a legacy and in some way immortalize the philosophy. Ultimately it all translates into practice, into action, and that is my goal: for human beings to intentionally practice the pillars of Lovescaping®.”

The first lens through which I choose to define myself is that of a human being. We often forget this most obvious fact because we spend too much time placing each other in categories that set us apart. If we stripped ourselves of all the constructs we have created we would realize that we are all part of one race: the human race, and that is an incredibly powerful binding force. Planet Earth is my home and I envision our world as one huge global community where we practice Lovescaping® as a way of life (what does this mean? Explore this website to find out more!) Above all things, I believe in love- love as a force for positive change in the world, love as panacea for the problems that plague the world: I dream of a world where love is planted, nurtured and grown collectively.

It has been a pleasure to work in the field of education. After receiving my Bachelor’s degree in Art History from the The American University of Rome I continued my studies at the University of Pennsylvania where I earned my Master’s degree in Education. I am originally from Venezuela and have had the great privilege of living and working in Italy, Mozambique, China, Guatemala and the United States. These work opportunities include teaching, developing curricula, preparing educational materials and workshops and organizing and managing community projects. Now in Houston, Texas, I am collaborating with schools and non-profit organizations, continuing my work in educational and community development.

I developed Lovescaping® in response to a need that I observed throughout my career and personal experiences. I saw a gap in life lessons needed in order for individuals of any age to enjoy meaningful relationships, share ideas, culture, histories and knowledge in a respectful and humble manner, and with a loving attitude. I saw too often people being disengaged and disassociated by no fault of their own. This led me to create Lovescaping®, a way of life-based on practicing love in action. I believe we can learn how to love by practicing the fifteen pillars of Lovescaping®. Through a series of classes that include activities such as reflections, role-plays, games, dialogues, mindfulness exercises, among others, we explore each pillar in order to develop the ability to cultivate self-love and love for others.

Norma Carter

Lovescaper

Norma Carter is a Lovescaper. Simply stated, she has dedicated her life to helping others through love! She has served in the Education field for 40 years as a Teacher, Principal, Leadership and Intervention Consultant, Learning Styles Trainer, Using Your Voice Trainer, Advocate and now a Lovescaping Coach. A native of Houston, Texas, Norma attended the University of Houston receiving a BA in Education, while minoring in Psychology. She earned her M.Ed. in Administration Supervision from the University of Houston, Clear Lake. Her personal experiences as well as the experiences of the many she has worked with have served her unceasing drive for studying, goal setting, and coaching insight and awareness. She is certified in Lovescaping, Career and Life Coaching, Emotional Intelligence, Vision Creation, the 7 Habits of Highly effective People, The Leader In Me process, and the Dunn and Dunn, Environmental, Emotional, Sociological, Physiological and Psychological Learning Styles, for adults and children. Norma has led organizations to National and State award success working with both teams and individuals.

DEBBIE LANDAU

Lovescaper

“Thinking outside the box. Nah, it would be better not to have a box. We need to transform, not reform; we don’t need a box.” Deborah Landau Silber

Who am I? I’m a Hispanic immigrant, Jewish gay woman, daughter, sister, wife, mother, educator, and a Lovescaper.

Growing up in Caracas, Venezuela, I attended a private Jewish school. My grandparents on my father’s side moved from Poland to flee the Holocaust. My grandparents lost many of their family members in the Holocaust. My mother’s side of the family immigrated from Russia to New Jersey.

I have a bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in business administration. As someone who grew up hating school, not having friends, and having very low self-esteem, I believe socio-emotional learning is essential. After I had my two children, I started teaching, and that changed the trajectory of my life.

I have been in education for 23 years, most of that time as an administrator. When I started teaching, I realized that we focused too much on testing and content and not building the child. SEL is not a new concept for me. I have always known it’s the foundation of teaching and learning. We brought different “programs” into our schools to try to address our children’s socio-emotional needs. But nothing compares with the experience I have had with Lovescaping. How to teach love in action. We implemented Lovescaping with a group of 7th-grade girls, our entire staff, and 6th-graders during summer school. After seeing and experiencing what Lovescaping is, we decided to incorporate Lovescaping not as another “program” but as our framework, core values, and the basis for our students’ character education and socio-emotional learning. We aligned our school’s comprehensive behavior/discipline system to Lovescaping. The results were terrific!

I am joining Lovescaping because I believe in the mission of teaching how to practice love in action. After all, I have seen the difference and the results, and I want to help implement it globally in every school; our world would be much better.

ADRIANA SANCHEZ

Lovescaper

I have had major turning points in my career that have molded me into the person I am today and forged my path into being part of something as unique and life changing as Lovescaping.

I am a firm believer that all things in our lives have a purpose: that is what allows us to become contributors in the world and this plays a large part in what defines us as humans. I am from Guatemala, and love has been a thread that has bound my life with the people I have met along the way. I have a bachelor of science in Nutrition, and for 8 years, I have been working in the rural areas of Guatemala to promote interventions aimed at children and women to address health and nutrition issues, but I have also gained experience in international development for the past 4 years –multi-tasking and assisting with fundraising, donor development, communication and marketing strategies for projects related to another major issue that affects children living in remote rural areas, such as lack of access to education.

A beautiful thing is being able to witness how pulling the threads, all the essential lovescaping pillars, into the work that I do on a daily basis can change people’s mindset for the better. I am currently working for an organization whose mission is dedicated to eliminating not only external poverty by teaching people how to grow their own food, but also internal poverty by showing them that they have the power to improve their own life. That power comes from within, teaching them how important it is to cultivate self-love and love for others. It’s a seed of love that is planted to fight internal poverty where people blossom and solid relationships are nurtured.

This new role in my career showed me how interconnected we are as human beings and the vivid need in our world to teach people how to apply all the necessary pillars in our day-to-day interactions, and that is what Lovescaping does through a systematic approach and in which I am honored and thrilled to be part of. As a cultivator of love, I am using my artistic and creative side to support the mission of Lovescaping through communications, research, marketing, social media and branding.

Erendira Ledesma

Lovescaper

Erendira Ledesma graduated from the University of Houston- Downtown and holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas. Erendira’s experience includes a variety of public schools’ settings for the last 18 years. She began her educational journey serving as a teaching assistant where she discovered her calling. She graduated from the University of Houston – Downtown and continued her teaching journey. She served as a Bilingual teacher, teacher specialist, interventionist, and an administrator in Houston TX. “I believe in the importance of teaching the whole child.”

FABY PERRY

Lovescaper

Faby Perry is a native of Venezuela. She came to the U.S in 1998 and finished her studies in education and psychology at Texas A&M University. She earned a master’s degree from the same university in Bilingual Education. She worked in school districts for almost 20 years as a Spanish and Bilingual teacher, mentor, literacy coach, and trainer. Recently, she earned her M.S of Science in Curriculum & Instruction with a Specialization in Reading from Texas A&M International University in 2022. She is an entrepreneur and an advocate for students of other languages, early childhood education, teachers, and parents. She founded Teaching Multilingual, LLC, 14 years ago!

“I thrive on learning and coaching teachers and parents in the art of love to heal the world! I believe in empowering schools by empowering teachers, students, and parents in the science of teaching reading readiness skills and language acquisition as well. I’m part of the Lovescaping Team because there is no mission more important than teaching the world the real meaning of love!

LINDSEY POLLOCK, Ed.D.

Lovescaper

Lindsey Pollock, Ed.D. has over 35 years of experience in a variety of school settings. From 2008-2021 she served as the principal of Garden Oaks Montessori, a PK3 – 8th grade public school in the Houston Independent School District. Her professional experience includes 25 years in public school where she was a 1st grade teacher, Reading Interventionist, and 5th grade Science teacher. She has served as a school social worker, program developer at the district level and school administrator. She also led private for-profit and non-profit schools as an administrator and owned and managed a small retail business. Dr. Pollock has consulted with schools across the United States and has been an international speaker/consultant to school systems/organizations in Sweden, China, Brazil, Mexico and Ghana. Dr. Pollock has written many articles for national publications and wrote a monthly parenting column for the Garden Oaks Gazette for 13 years. She continues to serve on local, state, and national non-profit boards. Her dedication to Social Justice has been recognized by numerous organizations including the Human Rights Campaign. Dr. Pollock holds a Montessori Administrator credential along with her Texas Teaching certifications in Elementary Education (1st – 8th grades), Special Education (PK – 12), English as a Second Language, Speech Communications (1st – 8th grades), Mid-Management Administrator (PK – 12) and Superintendent (EC – 12). She holds a Master’s Degree in Montessori Integrative Learning, Educational Leadership, and Social Work as well as a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and is a Licensed Master’s Level Social Worker (LMSW).

She and her husband (a retired teacher/principal) share 5 children and 2 grandchildren! You can find them on the beach whenever they have free time!

Katlyn Thornton

Lovescaper

Katlyn is an accomplished educator with a passion for empowering students through social studies and English language arts (ELA) education. With a career spanning Texas and Louisiana, Katlyn has left an indelible mark on the lives of countless students.

After honing her skills in the classroom, Katlyn transitioned to a pivotal role as a Teacher Behavior Specialist for the Social and Emotional Learning Department in the Houston Independent School District. In this capacity, she focused on analyzing discipline data to develop comprehensive campus plans aimed at creating a supportive environment to foster positive classroom environments and enhance students’ social and emotional well-being. Katlyn played a vital role in developing strategies to address behavioral challenges and promote student engagement, making a profound impact on the educational experience of students across the district.

Inspired by her mother, who is also an esteemed educator, Katlyn was driven to follow in her footsteps. She recognized the transformative power of education and was determined to make a difference in the lives of young learners. Equipped with a history degree from the Louisiana State University of Alexandria and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the Louisiana State University of Shreveport, Katlyn possesses a solid academic foundation that complements her practical teaching experience.

Throughout her career, Katlyn has demonstrated a commitment to educational excellence, employing innovative teaching methods and fostering a love for learning among her students. Her ability to engage diverse student populations and create inclusive learning environments has been widely recognized and appreciated by both students and colleagues.

Currently, Katlyn has taken on the role of Strategic Project Manager at Lovescaping and was part of the first Lovescaping School-wide model. Katlyn continues to follow her heart, leveraging her extensive educational background and expertise to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

Lidia Zatopek

Lovescaper

Lidia G. Zatopek has over 30 years of experience in public education where she served as a teacher, grant writer, vice principal, principal, district level administrator, and a director. For the last 20 years, Ms. Zatopek’s focus has been on educator preparation, licensure, mentoring, coaching, and leadership development and advancement. Prior to joining LoveScaping.org, Ms. Zatopek served as a director at Harris County Department of Education leading county-based, state-accredited educator preparation program for teachers, principals, and superintendents. She has experience writing and managing multiple, multi-million dollar federal grants and has been actively involved in recommending policies, quality standards, and programs which impact non-traditional routes to certification for educators at the state and national level. Ms. Zatopek is a past president of Texas Alternative Certification Association and has served on the Board of the Consortium of State Organizations for Texas Teacher Education. She is a member of numerous professional organizations including the School Reform Initiative, Texas Association of School Administrators, and the Texas Council of Women School Executives. She also serves as a consultant for the Rice University’s Teacher Preparation Program. Her academic credentials include a Bachelor’s degree in Russian Studies, a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration, and post-graduate studies in educational leadership from the University of Houston. As an avid reader and a polyglot who grew up in Europe in a multilingual environment, Lidia is passionate about literacy, social and emotional intelligence, mentorship, and helping others advance in the profession.

Dr. Queinnise Miller

Lovescaper

Dr. Queinnise Miller is an assistant professor of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis Doctoral Program at the University of Houston – Clear Lake. Even after more than 20 years as an educator, Dr. Queinnise Miller continues to have a passion for teaching, learning, and leading. As a teacher, motivational speaker, trainer, author, and educational leader, Dr. Miller is driven by a belief that all children deserve a world-class education regardless of cultural or economic background. Dr. Miller has served as an elementary and high school teacher, department chair, and educational trainer in various (urban & suburban) districts. She has also served as a middle school assistant principal.

Her background is in English as a Second Language, Bilingual Education, and Foreign Language Instruction. Dr. Miller served as a school administrator, Senior Manager for Leadership Development and as a Director in the Office of School Leadership in Houston ISD, the 7th largest in the nation serving over 215,000 scholars. She has trained and supported thousands of leaders at all levels with understanding the meaning of instructional leadership and its impact on developing exceptional leaders and teachers. Her proudest work has been that of a school elementary and secondary principal where she believes her job is to support and serve the people who make the magic happen, the people who really make the difference, teachers. In her book, Dr. Miller shares her story as a teacher in an urban school and offers advice, suggestions, and insights for aspiring, new, and veteran teachers.

Dr. Miller holds a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Houston (2002), a Master’s in Educational Administration, and a Doctorate degree of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from Prairie View A&M University (2008 & 2011). She is also a mother of two beautiful children.

Berti Brown

Lovescaper

My name is Berti Brown. I am a recently retired educator and administrator. It has been a delight to join Lovescaping as I have been intentional about showing the love and light inside of me to others. Much of my career has focused on igniting the love and light inside of others, especially children. It is such an honor to work with a group of passionate Lovescapers as we journey toward making the world a better place as a result of our deliberate actions to spread love. It all starts with a smile and an open heart!

Daisy West

Lovescaper

I am Daisy West, a highly motivated professional educator and team player with over 30 years experience. I have served in various capacities throughout my career from Teacher, Reading Interventionist, School administrator to Director using data to navigate the journey. I believe in empowering students, teachers, staff, parents and others to reach their greatest capacity. My current passion is SEL (social emotional learning). I believe the need is greater now more than ever to embrace and address the social and emotional deficiencies that we encounter in our communities.