Number of years taught: ​I’ve been teaching for fifteen years.

Different schools where she has taught:

● Corporate Landing Elementary School
● Thoroughgood Elementary School
● Three Oaks Elementary School

Where she went to school and degrees earned:

● Tidewater Community College- Associates in Social Science
● Old Dominion University- Bachelors in Communications with Minor in English
● Old Dominion University Career Switcher Program- Teaching Licensure in PRE-K thru 6
● Old Dominion University Graduate (MLIS- Master of Library Information Science)
Program- Begins January 2020

A quote about her teaching philosophy: ​“You can’t demand a return on an investment you
never made.”
To me, this is paramount! A child has to know that you care about them as a human being, or
they will never work for you in the classroom towards their personal best.

What she teaches and other school obligations:

● Teaches Social Studies, Writing, and Reading
● Participant in the school’s Instructional Leadership Team
● Grade Level Chair
● Teacher Forum School Representative
● Schoology Grade Level Team Leader

Family: ​I have a loving husband named Tony, who fully supports my teaching career. I am
blessed to have two healthy, active children named Carstyn (10.5 years old; fifth grade) and
Mackenzie (6 years old; kindergarten). Luckily, they both are able to attend the school I work at!

Recognitions, achievements, and/or awards:

-Selected VDOE SOL Reading Grade 5 Committee Member; July 2018/July 2019
-Read to Succeed National Class Winner; March 2018
-Career Teacher; September 2017- current
-USA Today Electronic Subscription Grant Recipient; 2016
-Teacher of the Year, Thoroughgood Elementary School; 2015
-Teacher of the Year, Three Oaks Elementary School; 2019
-1 of 25 selected candidates chosen from across the state of Virginia for Virginia Center for
Excellence in Teaching (VCET) Teacher Leadership and Policy/Humanities and Language Arts
Inaugural Academy at George Mason University. (Summer 2014-current)
-VCET Teacher Leadership and Policy Conference with Senator Tim Kaine; July 2014
-VCET Teacher Leadership and Policy Conference with Dr. Steven Staples, Virginia
Superintendent of Instruction
Favorite part about teaching:​ Years after I have taught a child, they come back to see me or
send me a letter/email and tell me that I have made a difference in their lives and of all the
teachers they have had- they will always remember me. That makes all the long hours and
sacrifice worth it all.

Least favorite part about teaching:

● Teacher “Red Tape”- These are things that take me away from time with my students,
such as excessive meetings during the school day and collecting and counting money
for field trips.
● Lack of teacher prep time- I don’t feel as if I have enough planning time during the day to
do what needs to be done, so I have to do much of my planning and grading at night and
on the weekends, which takes away from my family time.