About Penelope

Penelope Torribio, known to many as Mrs. T.

Most bios do not start with the twelve-year-old self, but this is where 1 World Education started.

Story 1
When I was twelve, my Aunt Lorrie gave me a structured journal called “My Private Life.” I only wrote on one page out of the whole journal. This page, however, reveals what twelve-year-old Penelope had faced all her young life. Here is a copy of that page. If you get out your red pen, you will find that in these few words, she made 33 spelling and grammar errors, shows a little aggression, and a sad lack of self-esteem.

Story 2
Penelope maintained a D average until her senior year in high school. She was in danger of not graduating; still, no teacher recognized the person behind the bad handwriting, the inability to cut a straight line in home economics, the inability to read notes in music, the inability to draw a stick figure in art, and her hopelessness in shop. She was tested and found to have a low IQ.

However, in her senior year, she joined Mr. Endress’s public speaking and debate class, and for the first time in my life, the girl behind all the educational issues was recognized. Mr. Endress urged her to join a state-wide public speaking contest. I won first place among 10,000+ contestants and was flown to Sacramento to present my speech before Congress. I came back angry to Shingletown, a small mountain community where my parents ran a failing motel, the Northern Pines Motel. Why didn’t one tell me that I wasn’t stupid?

I turned my anger into resolve. I was determined to become a teacher who would find the jewel in every one of my students. No one would be overlooked.

I was behind in all subjects. I went to Shasta Jr. College, majoring in public speaking and debate. And though I still didn’t know what my learning issues were, I found workarounds. I never guessed where my life would lead me. I went to Cal Poly University, majoring in public speaking and debate. It turned out I was very good at debate. Why didn’t someone notice this talent? You may notice that all my education systems and techniques rest on learning about my students and helping each student learn more about themselves.

Real Bio
Penelope Torribio, known to many as Mrs. T, is the founder of 1 World Education, an innovative approach to teaching that connects creativity, literacy, and human development. Her work centers on helping students and educators Think Like a Writer for better learning and better living.

Over the course of her career, Torribio has developed a series of highly effective, classroom-tested methodologies, including The Cooperative Classroom, Directive Drawing for Diagnosis, Intervention and Development, and the integration of puppetry as a powerful tool for engagement, communication, and deep learning.

Her philosophy emphasizes what she calls high-density learning—the idea that students can and should learn multiple skills simultaneously in meaningful, connected ways.

She is the author of numerous books on education and creativity, including ArtSmart: Superior Learning in the Inclusive Classroom, Future in Our Hands, What Everyone Should Know About Education, Einstein in My Garden, Photos and Reflections of Bugs, Don’t Get Too Close to a Fish, and The Magic in You: From Vacant Lot to Community Garden.

Torribio is also the creator of a unique series of “Edu-Tainment” novels, where storytelling and writing instruction merge through adventure. Her published titles include The Ghost of the Jangling Keys and The Ghost of Tomb 11: Tel el Amarna, Egypt, with a third installment, The Ghost of the Jaguar Queen in the Land of the Mayas, currently in progress.

Torribio, in the classroom with her students wrote the script and the songs for five original children’s musicals focused on ecology and character development: Dinosaur Dance: How Not to Become Extinct, The Rain is Coming (a rainforest musical), Out in Outer Space (a space ecology musical), Under the Blue Blue Sea (an ocean ecology story of transformation), and The Grass is Green (a farm animal musical).

And there are a number of songs that didn’t make it into a musical, including: Sing the Calendar Songs, with the spelling of each month. These works are often performed as interactive puppet productions, where audiences become active participants in the storytelling process.

Her work in puppetry extends internationally. She has written and performed a three-hour Southeast Asian–inspired marionette and shadow-puppet production of The Ramayana, presented across the United States and in India, Thailand, Bali, and Myanmar. In the U.S., her performances have been featured at Author’s Days, ecological festivals, and arts events.