Core Academic Teachers

J.T. Humber joins Hilltop School for the Arts with more than twenty years of experience in education, teaching a wide range of courses from grades 6–12, including the full English curriculum and several history classes. In addition to his secondary teaching experience, he has taught at the community college level for over a decade, bringing a deep understanding of composition, literature, and academic skills to his students.

A Phoenix native, Mr. Humber began his academic journey at Scottsdale Community College before studying History and English at Arizona State University. He later earned his master’s degree in Education from the University of Phoenix. His diverse educational background enriches his classroom practice and helps him connect students to both the craft of writing and the broader human stories found in literature.

Outside the classroom, Mr. Humber is an avid reader with interests spanning literary fiction to science fiction. He also enjoys writing and playing guitar, and proudly describes himself as a lifelong learner—and a bit of a nerd at heart.

Mr. Humber is passionate about fostering student success and believes strongly in creating an encouraging, collaborative learning environment. He is committed to supporting students as they develop their skills, pursue their goals, and discover their own creative voices.

Erin Winkler is a dedicated English teacher with 15 years of experience supporting both general education and special education students. She is committed to creating an inclusive, structured, and encouraging classroom environment that helps every learner grow as a reader, writer, and thinker.

Erin holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Aurora University and a Master’s Degree in Clarinet Performance and Pedagogy from Northern Illinois University. In addition to her work in English education, she has taught clarinet to students from middle school through the college level and enjoys helping young musicians build skills and confidence.

She is excited to bring her energy, empathy, and commitment to student success to The Hilltop School of the Arts community.

 

Hello, my future Hilltop School of the Arts parents, guardians, and especially students. I am Lori Batman and I am beyond excited to meet you and experience school life with you. High school is meant to be filled with memories, engagement, life experiences, friends, teachers, learning, and most importantly enjoyment. As your math teacher, I wish to navigate all this excitement with you.  Let’s be honest, math is not everyone’s favorite subject, but I promise our class will help you to love math a little more than you expected. After 25 years of teaching, I pride myself in being able to make math easier to understand. We will work hard together in class and work hard enjoying our time outside of class. My upmost priority is to help you to be successful and enjoy your mathematics journey.  I have a Bachelors in secondary Education, a Masters in Bilingual Education, and an endorsement in Gifted Learning.  I started my career teaching Honors Algebra to 8th graders, then proceeded to the high school level and taught a variety of math courses at Millenium High School for six years where I was once named teacher of the year and two other times recognized as an outstanding teacher. I then transitioned to Maryvale High School where I have been teaching for 13 years. I am very pleased to be returning to my Agua Fria family and to be teaching at Hilltop. My passions in life are my home and my Family!!! I spend all my free time with my husband, our dog, and our girls and their husbands, and our nine grandchildren. We love to get together for family dinners and drive around in our golf cart. I also enjoy working in our yard and decorating my home.  

Carissa Harvey is the Algebra I and Geometry teacher at The Hilltop School of the Arts. With more than 22 years in education, she brings a wealth of experience, compassion, and creativity to her work. She has taught Algebra I and Geometry for a combined 15 years and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Supervision, with certifications in K–12 Special Education and 6–12 Mathematics.
Carissa has also served in leadership roles as an assistant principal and coordinator of a behavioral program, and values thoughtful differentiation to ensure every student can access meaningful learning experiences. A lifelong musician, she has participated in choir, plays the flute, and performed in drumline, and she maintains a strong passion for the arts and their role in education. Building strong rapport with students and families is central to her work, as she is deeply committed to helping students flourish and unlock their full potential.

 

Amanda Cruz is a high school science educator with a strong academic foundation in the life sciences. She earned her degree in Aquatic Biology from UC Santa Barbara, completed her teaching credential, and holds a master’s degree in education and educational administration. Since joining the district in 2019, she has taught Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Space, and Principles of Science, serving students at Canyon View and later Verrado High School.   

  Susanna Calvin was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1988. I came from a hot, green and very humid environment to a blistering hot one; it was quite an adaptation. 1989 was my first summer and the temperature was a blazing 122 degrees!!!!
     I am blissfully married with two beautiful girls: Emily is seventeen years old and Charlotte is thirteen years old. I am an artist and my talents have danced upon diverse canvases of expression: painting, drawing, sublimation, Cricut, batik, ceramics, woodworking, scrapbooking, adobe photoshop, photography, and I am continuing to explore more and more! I am a domestic and international traveler! I have traveled to forty of the fifty United States, and internationally I have traveled to Canada, Bahamas, England, France, Spain, and down under in Australia! (Koalas have soft fur like a rabbit).
   As a history teacher, I plan to develop engaging strategies to promote student success and to develop a passion for historical people and events using historical and anthropological studies. My objective is to utilize and infuse art into the curriculum as a medium to imagine and create interpretations of key moments and influential individuals from history including milestones and figures from bygone eras. Students might be writing poetry, painting, drawing, historic characterization, storyboarding, historical narratives, tableau, acting, creating annotated timelines, etc.