ENGLISH GURU

13 years teaching Middle and High School English Literature Published Author

My students know two things: that I care about them and that I want them to succeed. They know that everything I assign and the rules of my classroom reflect both of these things. I look at teaching like a coach. I'm a coach of the mind; I tell students that I can tell them all of the mental muscle groups they need to work and how to work them in order to condition themselves to face their futures with the most choices in life, but I can't run around the track for them. I have learned how to maximize the time spent in a classroom, and if any of my lesson plan or project ideas help other teachers, that makes me happy. Students know that I never 'brand' them what kind of student they are. Anyone can have a bad day, month or term, and they can decide to be an A student any time they'd like. All I can do is believe in them and help them practice and master the skill sets the professional world will eventually demand of them.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR, Freedom Prep Academy, 2014-15

B.A. English, University of Utah, 1997 M.Ed Secondary Education, Utah State University, 2008

I'm a triplet! My two brothers live in AZ, where most of our five sisters live.