My Education
I graduated magna cum laude in 1999 from Clemson University with a degree in Elementary Education.
I earned my masters degree in Educational Policy in 2003 from the University of Pennsylvania.
My Teaching Experience
1999-2001
I began my teaching career in South Carolina in a small town called York, right outside of Charlotte, NC. I taught Reading/Language Arts and Math to seventh graders.
2001-2020
For most of my tenure here at Brigantine, I taught in the middle school. I taught 7th and 8th grade Math and Algebra for the majority of that time. I also taught 6th grade Math and 5th grade Math. Teaching all those grade levels prepared me for my next assignment as middle school Basic Skills Math Instructor for grades 5 through 8 as I have a knowledge of each grade level and can connect the dots for my students while pulling from the bag of tricks I have developed over the years. I also taught Enrichment to grades 4 through 6.
2020-Present
I have expanded my teaching repertoire to include third grade math, science, and social studies. I know where my students need to go as mathematicians, and I will work hard to give them strong backgrounds in preparation for their future explorations into math. In addition, I always want to know MORE, and I hope to encourage that same desire in my students to learn all we can about science and social studies.
My Personal Life
I grew up in Laurens, South Carolina, a small Southern town. We lived on the family farm where we could wander the old barns, roam the vast fields, hop on hay bales, and ride horses. It was a great place to develop the imagination.
I have two sons: William (age 15) and Charles (age 12). They are busy boys! One runs track; one acts in plays; both have earned black belts in karate, are on the swim team for the EHT Seahawks, and are running cross country for their schools. One plays the trumpet, and the other is learning the saxophone. They also love Star Wars, Legos, the Avengers, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter.
My husband is the physics teacher and former head boys' soccer coach and girls' track coach at Oakcrest High School. He retired from coaching to focus on our boys' activities. This year, though, he will be refereeing high school soccer games. You could see him around at local games. Some of my former students have moved to Mays Landing and have had him as a teacher, too!
Teaching is my life. I try to be the best educator I can in all walks of my life, and I aim to teach my students as I would want my own children to be taught.