About Me...

I have worked closely with many people in the Akron Public Schools family.  This is currently my 29th year of teaching. Within the 29 years of experience, I've been a Literacy Coach/Instructional Specialist Coach for 12 of those years.  I have also taught mostly first grade but also second, third and fourth.  I have had such an interesting career and have learned so much since I first began teaching.  

I have a great hubby and two amazing kids!  You can read more about our family adventures on my personal blog-The Rudder!  

Working at the I Promise School since it opened in July 2018 has been a blessing.  One of the pieces of our work has been focusing on Social Emotional Learning.  In our vision-we talk about our Habits of Promise.  They are Partner, Perpetual Learner, Perseverance, Problem Solver and Perspective.  The habit I feel most strongly about and one of the reasons I started this blog is being a perpetual learner.  I want to share my learning with the world!  Hope you enjoy learning with me.  Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with single step.  Won't you walk along with me?

We have also focused on our two other pillars of learning:  STEM and wrap-around support.  I have been blessed with a wonderful opportunity this year to extend my understanding of thinking through the Fostering STEM network.  Under the guidance of the Ohio STEM Learning Network, I have had intensive professional training in STEM ideology, coaching through this lens, introspective learning, design thinking and PBLs.  I am eternally grateful for this learning opportunity as well as the chance to experience a STEM residency with a team from my school to visit McKinley STEMM in Toledo, Ohio.  

Over the past year, I gained extensive learning time within the middle school setting of our building and trying out literacy lessons with our 7th graders.  I have also built relationships with partners that has helped to expand experiential learning for our students.  One of the closest partners I've connected with is the Curated Storefront.  I am so grateful for the opportunities to work with so many talented individuals.  I am also grateful to the LJFF, University of Akron and many others for helping me to grow in my learning.