Hello! I am so excited you are in my class and am looking forward to getting to know each of you, so it’s only fair that you know a little about me as we get started.

I grew up in the small Arkansas community of Mount Ida, where I spent many summers on Lake Ouachita, so I love to be on the lake, take hikes on wilderness trails, and camp at the many beautiful state parks Arkansas has to offer.

I attended Arkansas State University where I decided to answer my calling and passion into the teaching profession. In high school, I was very involved with Student Council and afterwards served as a junior counselor during the summer workshops held by the Arkansas Association of Student Councils. I knew that I enjoyed working with youth and helping them tap into their leadership potential. With my love of literature and writing combined with my passion of working with teenagers, becoming an English teacher was a natural choice. After making this life decision, I had the opportunity through the A-State International Studies office to study abroad in Canterbury, England my junior year in order to study British literature. I have enjoyed getting to share my experiences of being immersed in British culture, history, and literature with my students.

After returning from my studies abroad, I met my husband Jacob. We have been married 14 years and have two beautiful children: Jackson, 11; and Findley, 5.

This 2019-20 school year begins my sixteenth year of teaching English Language Arts at the high school level. My husband is a Methodist pastor and gets appointed by the Arkansas United Methodist Conference to serve in specific churches, so as he has been appointed to different churches, I have been fortunate to have taught in three other great districts that have helped to strengthen my skills and abilities. I began my career at Paragould High School (Jacob’s alma mater) where I taught for three years teaching English 9, English 10, Pre-AP English 10, and English 11; I was also a class sponsor and the Rams Dance Team coach. We then moved closer to my hometown, so I joined the Lake Hamilton High Wolf Pack to teach Pre-AP English 10, English 11, and English 12; I also became the Student Council advisor, getting to once again work with the AASC. We then moved to Central Arkansas where I accepted a job at Benton High School where I taught Pre-AP English 10, English 12, and Honors English 12. Now that we are back in NEA, I am so excited to be joining you here at Brookland High and am looking forward sharing my passion for learning with you!

So, welcome to my English Language Arts Class! I know we are going to have a fabulous time together: exploring our humanity through literature, expressing our views and values through composition, and preparing our futures through close reading skills and language comprehension.