Who am I?

My philosophy of education can be summed up in three simple words: Try. Rinse. Repeat.  The purpose of learning is to instill the want to try something unknown, the courage to make mistakes, and the wherewithal to do it all over again.  Failure brings about success.  One of my goals as an educator is to create environments where teachers and students are comfortable using technology to discover and learn, are curious to try new and innovative things, and will relish in the failures that lead to success.

My experience in the field of education began working with students in middle school, high school, and college classrooms in the field of ELA and then into classrooms in and around Central Pennsylvania working side-by-side with educators in the fields of curriculum, evidence-based practices, and hybrid and online learning. Currently, I have taken a position at a Career and Technical High School as the Teacher Development Instructor, working to inspire and educate students who want to eventually enter the teaching field. I have a Bachelor’s degree in English, a Master’s degree in English Education, and a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. I have presented locally, across Pennsylvania, and in Texas. My goal as an educator is to continually bring ideas and practices to all learners - young people and adults - so that we, as educators, can offer the world everything we are capable of imagining, creating, and sharing.

I am a constant learner.   As educational pedagogy and technology tools change and grow to meet needs and skills that haven’t even been thought of yet, I continuously strive to educate myself and my students on the devices, tools, strategies, and communities that have continued to enhance the field of education. I learn more so that I can impart the best learning practices to my colleagues and students. As a high school English teacher, my focus was always to connect writing and literature to authentic applications to help my students leave high school college and be career ready. As a staff developer, my focus was to connect evidence-based practice and pedagogy to effective classroom application to help my colleagues bring fresh ideas and energy into their classrooms. As a Future Educator CTE Teacher, my focus is to help instill the love of learning and instruction to a new crop of educators to continue our practice and continue to help students grow.