I am a wife to Kayle and mother to four children who have attended public schools, charter schools and homeschool. My experience as the mother of a child with special needs and children who need to be challenged has been most influential in shaping the educator I have become.
I left the classroom for 21 years to be home with my children. Prior to returning to teaching full-time, I had the opportunity to work as a substitute teacher and regular volunteer in the Nampa and Meridian, Idaho school districts for six years. Here I experienced all types of schools, subjects, grade levels, and school cultures.
In 2013 we moved back to be near our families and I began teaching STEM full-time to 6th graders at Kimberly Middle School. During these eight years I developed a project-based, engaging curriculum from ground zero. I had the opportunity to mentor many teachers, served as team leader multiple years, and received the KMS Teacher of the Year award in 2018. I belonged to the Kimberly CORE teacher group for five years where I regularly collaborated with and observed a group of exceptional educators to practice and implement effective lesson design. I was a presenter at the IMLA (middle school) education conference in both 2018 and 2019. Also in 2018, I joined an Exploratory Committee whose goal was to design a new kind of school as an educational option for Kimberly students. In 2020 I received a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and was invited to play a larger role in the administration and founding of RISE Charter School. Designing and implementing a school that meets the individual needs of each student and challenges them to reach their potential has been one of the most exciting, challenging and rewarding opportunities of my life. Working with incredible educators and inspiring young people is the best part of my job!
When not in a school, I can be found enjoying the outdoors, building home projects, running, spending time with family, or reading.