EduMcation

I have been a middle school teacher since 1999, teaching 5th-8th grade ELA. I've taught in both Canada and the United States. I was an Instructional Coach for a year, and a middle school administrator for 4 years. I chose to go back into the classroom in 2018 after deciding it was time to return to my first love. Teaching is WAY more fun! Middle schoolers are fantastic, interesting humans and it takes an adventurous spirit to be the leader of their tribe each year.

I am a "warm demander" (see Matt Alexander's article on EduTopia). High student engagement is a hallmark of my teaching. I believe in giving middle school students lots of voice and choice. Most importantly, I love to use the most creative (odd? interesting? relevant?) instructional strategies I can.

I am Jackson Magazine's Teacher of the Year for 2019. I've published a series of articles on close reading for Perfection Learning (see their website for the complete set). I was also a reviewer/contributor for their Progress to Success curriculum and Connections curriculum. As far as higher education (which is less valuable than experience, right?), I was awarded the Excellence in a Discipline award for Educational Leadership from Grand Valley State University in 2017. Way back in the dark ages (late 90's), I graduated top 10 in my class for my Education degree and was an Academic All-Canadian. Most importantly, my own two kids think I'm kinda cool. They text me back.

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of British Columbia (1997). Bachelor of Elementary Education from the University of British Columbia (1998). Masters in Educational Leadership from Grand Valley State University (2017).

Teaching rocks. It takes a certain amount of crazy...but I'm down for that:)