My teaching journey began in 2014 with 7th grade ELA. As a lateral entry teacher, I was constantly researching new ways to present my curriculum so that even the most reluctant learners might connect to the material. Somewhere along the way, I became a mentor teacher to the beginning teachers in my building. More than one of my mentees suggested that my materials were worthy of TPT, inspiring the opening of Artful Reading. In 2024, I transitioned from ELA to Visual Arts at my middle school, finally teaching what I am most passionate about.