About Me

For the majority of my career, I have been a fourth and fifth grade teacher. I taught for 8 years at Cape Fear Center for Inquiry. That experience taught me the value of allowing students choice in their education. I believe that my role as the educator is to be aware of what the end goal is for the students in my charge and to provide experiences that help lead them to that goal. I like a classroom that is busy, full of energy, discourse, and exploration. This belief has followed me into the media center of Castle Hayne Elementary School.

Reading has been one of my loves since I was a small child. I grew up on comic books and novels. Children need to be encouraged to read what they love for pleasure. Of course in school, there are assigned readings and books. These are important to help students grow in comprehension and to meet curricular standards. But fun reading is all about choice and exploration. I enjoy helping students find what they love to read.

My first degree is in Theatre from UNCW, then I went on to earn a Masters in Elementary Education and am currently working on my Masters in Library Science. Although I love theatre, I chose a career that I felt would fit best with my most important role in life, being a mom. I have three amazing children: Thomas, Matthew, and Abby. Thomas is a student at App State, Matt is at Cape Fear Community College, and Abby is at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. I have been married to my best friend, Rob Winner, for 26 years.

Here's to another fabulous year at the Castle!