Students metaphorically travel to the same destination with one lesson to the next. The important thing is to remember that there are many, many ways to get to that destination (a mastered lesson). It is vital for a teacher to use an unlimited bag of tricks to ease that travel to the new lesson on a mastery level.

I started my career as a music teacher in a private school due to the fact that I have a bachelor’s degree in music. What I have learned through my master’s program in both special education and elementary education is that although my educational courses were excellent and I learned so much, my experience with the classified Emotional Disability students have individual needs that go far beyond what is learned from a book. Each student is an individual that learns differently and at different paces.

I started my teaching in a preschool classroom for four years and was offered a teaching job at a Residential Treatment Center for students with emotional disabilities. I taught a middle school aged self-contained class for almost six years when I was offered a tenured track position teaching at a local high school. I have been teaching there in a number of different classroom settings since 2004 and love every minute if it.

I have been on the SLT committee at my school. I volunteer my time at my daughters’ cheer gym as team mom. I get involved in the community through town recreation activities as well.