I grew up in southeast Texas where the people are kind, the mosquitoes are big, and the food is delicious.  I’ve lived in the Dallas area since 1999. My husband, Todd, and I have three children. We also have a dog and raise chickens in our backyard. On a nice day, I am outside working in the yard, watching birds, or enjoying a book with the family flanked around me. We enjoy hiking and camping while taking family vacations.

With over 20 years of teaching experience, I’ve spent the majority of my teaching career in upper elementary. I’ve taught in Austin, Dallas, and McKinney at 4 different Lutheran schools before arriving at Zion. Before teaching in the middle school, I served at Zion as Early Childhood Director and art teacher for kindergarten through 7th grade.  After teaching art, it’s easily incorporated into my weekly plans in middle school. I’m currently a member of National Council of Teachers of English and closely follow several educational blogs to stay relevant.

Being a part of our school, church, and community are crucial to the life of my family. I’ve coached basketball in the past. I am currently co-coaching Zion's Scholar Bowl team. I’m at Zion most Sunday mornings playing in the handbell choir, teaching Sunday school, attending or leading Bible studies, or worshiping with my family. We are very active in our neighborhood association, community sports for our kids, and many youth activities. I participate in a book club that challenges me to read and discuss literature.

Learning, laughing, and students are all priorities in my classroom. My classroom is organized to encourage group activities and sharing. Middle schoolers are social and this is a time of emotional and physical change. Their minds are malleable and creative, so giving them a chance to share thoughts and knowledge is invaluable. I pray that as students leave my class, they have grown academically and learned that they are loved... and hopefully their favorite memory doesn’t include me tripping over something.