I have been teaching English in Alton, Illinois since 1996. I hold a masters degree in teaching writing from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. I first became a fellow of the National Writing Project through the Mississippi Valley Writing Project, an experience I mark as one of the most influential in my professional career. In 2008, I jumped at the opportunity to help lead a site, The Piasa Bluffs Writing Project (PBWP). Together with many of the folks that helped found PBWP, I continue to pursue my professional development and action-research interests as a member of the Cultural Landscapes Collabortory (Colab). I currently lead Alton High’s Literacy Laboratory, an innovative professional learning community (PLC) supported by the theories of action emerging out of the work of the Colab.