ESP Biography



RENEE OTTO, ESP Teacher



Major: Not available.

College/Employer: Graduate of NYU, teacher at Barrow St. school

Year of Graduation: 2014

Picture of Renee Otto

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Renee lives in Brooklyn, NYC with two adorable chinchillas and a cuddly pittbull. She is overly excited about teaching at Spark this year and cannot wait to enjoy teaching students who truly love to learn.
She is certified in childhood special education grades 1-6 and has taught ages two years through high school. Renee regularly runs Spartan races, obstacle races, and marathons. She also practices Tae Kwon Do. She is a vegetarian of fifteen years and adores all living creatures.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

X10468: Talking Hands!: An Introduction to American Sign Language in Spark 2016 (Mar. 12 - 13, 2016)
An introductory workshop on the basics of American Sign Language. You will leave the course with an understanding of and an ability to communicate the following: finger spelling; numbers 0-10; basic sentence structure/grammar; introductory phrases; Deaf Culture; and expression. This class is intended for beginners who are new to or have introductory exposure to sign language, but all levels are welcome to come!


X10470: Have Your Vegan Cupcake And Decorate It Too!!! in Spark 2016 (Mar. 12 - 13, 2016)
This course needs all three of its exclamation points, its just that exciting and delicious. I will supply the cupcakes and guide you through decorating techniques! Cupcake bakeshops are a bit of a trend right now, but why buy an overpriced cupcake that has been sitting in a window all day when you can decorate your own? I will bake and bring two flavors of vegan cupcakes, then guide you through the process of frosting them with delicious vegan buttercream using a variety of introductory piping tools and techniques! You don't need to be vegan to appreciate well baked and decorated cupcakes. **If you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions (peanut, gluten free, kosher, ect.) please make Spark or me aware of them prior to this course. Most allergies can be accommodated :D**


X10471: Self Defense: "We're not saying we're ninjas... we're just saying no one has ever seen a ninja and us in the same room." in Spark 2016 (Mar. 12 - 13, 2016)
Ever wanted to feel more like a ninja?... Us too. However, that takes years of training. What we can offer you however is fifty minutes of self defense training! Learn to defend against common grabs, holds, and jumps. Learn response techniques in dangerous situations. Learn skills we hope you will never have to use! Both instructors of this course have trained in martial arts for over fifteen years. We will provide a safe and friendly environment to learn self defense in.


X9440: Talking Hands: An introduction to American Sign Language in Spark 2015 (Mar. 14 - 15, 2015)
An introductory workshop on the basics of American Sign Language. Will cover: finger spelling, numbers 0-10, basic sentence structure/grammar, introductory phrases, Deaf Culture, and expression. This class is intended for beginner who are new to or have introductory exposure to sign language, but all levels are welcome to come!


X9441: Vegan Cupcake Decorating!!! in Spark 2015 (Mar. 14 - 15, 2015)
This course needs all three of its exclamation points, it's just that exciting and delicious. Cupcake bakeshops are a bit of a trend right now, but why buy an overpriced cupcake that has been sitting in a window all day when you can bake your own? We will bake vegan vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, then frost them with delicious buttercream using a variety of introductory piping tools! You don't need to be vegan to appreciate well baked cupcakes. :)