I believe that students need to see the personal side of the world. When students begin to see a unique story in a history or science lesson, they become engaged and learn. 

   Learners need to see the relevance of what they learn. Then, they become eager to learn more. While I am a "trained teacher," I am also a lifelong learner. Because of this, I joined every teaching summer internship I was offered. I've enjoyed working with the SC Forestry Service, Oakridge Laboratory in Tennessee, and the National Archives in DC. Currently, I am working on a research project with the US Library of Congress. I believe these experiences have helped me connect with real-world events, science, and history, which, in turn, helped me be a better teacher. 

When I cannot travel, I'm working on my first young adult historical fiction book or reading about where I want to travel next. I speak French and love to travel to countries where I can immerse myself in the language. I have had the opportunity to travel to several European and Caribbean areas. Some of my favorite vacations have been to historical locations: the D-Day beaches, Churchill's war rooms, castles in Scotland, and WWI trenches in Belgium.  

 Reading is critical in learning, and I encourage writing in most history and science lessons. I have been teaching for over 20 years. My educational background is in working with early childhood through high school-age students. My first years of teaching were in a   preschool-age classroom. For the past 15 years, I have taught at the middle school level (general science, world history, French) in a public classroom. I quickly realized that I needed to become a reading teacher of science and history if my learners were successful. I have two master's degrees in education.

I look forward to meeting you in class.