I am a professional educator, learner, and writer and have taught in an elementary eMINTS (enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies) classroom in Missouri and then as a middle school English Language Arts teacher in O’Fallon, Illinois. I hold a Master of Science in Education degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and am currently a Ph.D. in Education candidate at Saint Louis University. I consider my most significant career changing choice to be my participation in the Piasa Bluffs Writing Project as an advanced fellow.

 

My experiences with CoLab have reinspired my hope for the future of Education. Intentional and meaningful collaboration with other educators nurtures creativity and confidence while developing teacher-leaders. I have facilitated Innolabs within my building, creating a positive cultural shift within our classrooms and teaching habits. Increasing student achievement and encouraging students to think innovatively is a natural result of inspired and supported teachers. I remain a strong advocate of Inquiry into My Practice (IMP) and Responsive Design as highly effective collaboration tools for teachers to support one another as we learn, grow, and excel within our instructional practices.