I teach 9th Grade Literacy and Women's Literature (senior elective) at Middletown High School in Middletown, New York.  I received my Bachelor of Arts Degree from Angelo State University in 1997 with a double major in English and Communications and a specialization in Interpersonal Communication.  After graduation, I worked for several years as an executive legal assistant and office manager in Denver, Colorado.  During this time I found myself frequently mentoring, training, and teaching co-workers and new hires, and discovered I had a passion for teaching.  Upon moving to West Texas, I enrolled in Texas Tech University's evening post-baccalaureate educator certification program while continuing to work full time as a litigation paralegal and database administrator.  I earned educator certifications in Secondary English, Reading, ELA, and Speech Communications with Gifted and Talented endorsement over the course of 2002-2004.

My prior six years of teaching experience include five years teaching secondary English, Reading, Literacy, and Technology courses as well as a year teaching various courses in the Computer Office Business Technology and ABA certified Paralegal programs at the college associate's degree level.

Teaching Philosophy

Over and over we say, “Every child has the ability to learn.” It has become so commonplace that often the true depth of that single idea is overlooked. Many students have different learning styles that affect how slowly or quickly they learn and retain different types of information or skills. It is essential that we as educators work not only with students but also with their parents to find the most effective ways to help those students learn. As a result, I strongly focus on direct communication with parents and students in conferences and email, as well as frequently monitor my own instructional strategies to ensure that individual students are learning in ways that fit their own styles.

I believe tasks should be authentic and activities should incorporate opportunities for students to showcase their artistic, musical, writing, speaking and other abilities.  Real world tasks, contests, projects, and activities give students authentic opportunities to demonstrate their skills learned in truly meaningful ways.  Writing thank you letters to loved ones, researching colleges or careers of interest, and peer review and editing are just some examples where students transfer their skills to immediate, rewarding applications.  Students also bring many gifts that need to be encouraged including artistic, musical, writing, and speaking abilities. I have found that designing activities incorporating these talents greatly increases student interest and performance in the subject matter.

Page Layout

I chose this particular background for my personal page because, in the Chinese calendar, I happen to be a tiger, and I have always been fascinated by the power and strength of tigers, the close teamwork of their hunting, and how protective they are of their young.