me

My Vision:

People of all ages discover & carry out their purpose through relationships and reflection.

My Mission:

Collaboratively improve student achievement by supporting and working with students, parents, teachers, educational leaders, instructional coaches, community stakeholders, and policy makers.

Education & Experience:

  • Doctoral candidate at Liberty University
  • Master’s degree in Education from Converse College
  • Bachelor’s degree in Education from University of Central Florida
  • Seven+ years service as an Instructional Facilitator/ Literacy Coach
  • Twenty+ years successful classroom teaching; tenured in NC & SC Schools
  • Licensed as a teacher in South Carolina

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

  • Highly motivated, self-directed, collaborative, and flexible.
  • Knowledge of educational curriculum, instructional methodology, learning theory and technology with a strong background in implementation of effective collaborative practices and appreciative inquiry.

Responsibilities:

  • Serve God
  • Love wisely (husband, 3 children, in-laws, and more)
  • Serve teachers and students in a diverse southern public school (student enrollment <500)
  • Serve community 

Commitment to Collaborative Advocacy:

Collaborate with stakeholders in various settings and circumstances:

  • Prayerfully, identify who will benefit from my support
  • Facilitate appreciative inquiry communication during stakeholder collaborations
  • Be still and know that God is God, patiently holding any puzzle pieces that don’t yet fit

 Commitment to Teachers & Staff :

Collaborate with teachers to:

  • Provide support & resources for professional learning initiatives by:
    • Modeling instructional best practices for…
      • Reading Workshop
      • Writing Workshop
  • Providing feedback (confidential one-on-one debriefs)
  • Facilitating group discussion
  • Counsel and advise teachers on a variety of topics, issues, and areas
  • Facilitate professional growth of staff by coaching them to:
    • Effectively adjust instructional strategies
    • Use positive behavior support to strengthen classroom management
    • Engage parents in collaborative advocacy for students
    • Implement appreciative inquiry to better support students and families
    • Implement assessment techniques that ensure student achievement
    • Implement effective practices to promote student growth
    • Assist in analyzing data relative to the impact of activities on student achievement
    • Utilize assessment information before, during, and after instruction to guide instructional design (Curriculum Mapping in PLC & Differentiated Lesson Planning of Individual Teachers)
    • Optional (at principal’s discretion):
      • Facilitate communication with staff to promote:
        • brain based learning
        • developmentally appropriate financial literacy
        • health/fitness/nutrition integration
        • integration of the arts
  • Foster understanding and identification of:
    • Potential twice-exceptionality
    • Early identification of Gifted & EC
    • Individualized instruction for all learners
    • Effective protocols when social service or family court officials become involved 

Facts About Me:

  • I have a blended family = husband + children: Tristan & his wife Alley (adults), Scarlet & her fiance Hunter (aduts), & Ashton (12 y.o son)
  • I love the Peanuts cartoons & my favorite character is Snoopy
  • I am an INFJ (http://typelogic.com/infj.html)
  • I am 100% West & 75% South (strengths: seeing the big picture & peacemaking) from NSRF Compass Points exercise
  • I am a Teal (slightly more green than blue) from the True Colors test
  • I became an educator because I was inspired by a few great teachers, disappointed by a few bad ones, bored by a lot mediocre ones, and called to it by God. My dream was to make a difference so that more children could have mostly great teachers!

I have taught for over 20 years in 3 different states: Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina.  I have mentored student teachers, published curriculum for the Gifted & Talented, and worked on pacing guides, test development committees for tiered instruction, curriculum maps, and scope & sequence documents. I directed a Freedom Writers program at York Chester Middle School for several years and hosted an annual Toast for Change which was twice featured in the Gaston Gazette (2009 & 2011). I have served as a Pinnacle Technology Leader and am certified to teach the Academically Gifted in NC & SC, in grades K-12. I am certified as literacy coach in SC and am currently pursuing a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction.  I encourage all educators to tap into collaborative curiosity to cultivate bountiful gardens of lifelong learning for themselves and others. I currently serve as a Literacy Coach in York County at York Intermediate School. 

I previously served as an Instructional Facilitator in Gaston County at Bessemer City Primary where I worked with teachers and teams following the Professional Learning Community model.  

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