ABOUT ME
I have taught in grades K-2 for the past 22 years - over half of it in first grade and kindergarten classrooms and the rest as a literacy specialist working with struggling readers. I have a Journalism degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC and a Master's in Teaching from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. I also have National Board certification in early childhood education and K-12 reading certification. More importantly, I am passionate about teaching and learning in the early years of school. It is so much easier for children to master skills during the K-2 years than it is for them to try to close the gap later if they missed the foundation. I am committed to helping students achieve their goals in accordance with first grade expectations.
I am also a wife, daughter, and mother. I read to my 10-year-old son every day. I have 3 cats and a dog (and sometimes they listen to our stories too!) I love Carolina basketball, traveling, drinking coffee, making scrapbooks about my trips, and reading. I read to gain knowledge - I regularly read magazines, journals, and books on parenting and teaching - and for pleasure. I love to get into a good novel! Some of my favorite books are Poisonwood Bible, To Kill a Mockingbird, Life of Pi, and The Secret Life of Bees.
Reading is obviously a major emphasis in first grade and is also the foundation for learning any other skill or discipline. Good books open doors to places we would never be able to go in real life. Reading about a wide range of topics expands our minds in unforeseen and unexpected ways. Oh, the places we can go when we read and imagine! It is a joy to take children along with me on the ride!
I have taught in grades K-2 for the past 22 years - over half of it in first grade and kindergarten classrooms and the rest as a literacy specialist working with struggling readers. I have a Journalism degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC and a Master's in Teaching from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. I also have National Board certification in early childhood education and K-12 reading certification. More importantly, I am passionate about teaching and learning in the early years of school. It is so much easier for children to master skills during the K-2 years than it is for them to try to close the gap later if they missed the foundation. I am committed to helping students achieve their goals in accordance with first grade expectations.
I am also a wife, daughter, and mother. I read to my 10-year-old son every day. I have 3 cats and a dog (and sometimes they listen to our stories too!) I love Carolina basketball, traveling, drinking coffee, making scrapbooks about my trips, and reading. I read to gain knowledge - I regularly read magazines, journals, and books on parenting and teaching - and for pleasure. I love to get into a good novel! Some of my favorite books are Poisonwood Bible, To Kill a Mockingbird, Life of Pi, and The Secret Life of Bees.
Reading is obviously a major emphasis in first grade and is also the foundation for learning any other skill or discipline. Good books open doors to places we would never be able to go in real life. Reading about a wide range of topics expands our minds in unforeseen and unexpected ways. Oh, the places we can go when we read and imagine! It is a joy to take children along with me on the ride!