• How can I support all students, including EL students, in participating in discussions?

• How can structured speaking routines improve both confidence and academic performance?

• How can classroom discussions prepare students for real-world applications like Defense of Learning?

I made several intentional changes to my instruction to support student voice:

• I moved from calling on a few students to creating structures where all students were expected to participate and the environment turned to student led conversations rather than calling on students.

• I began consistently modeling complete sentence responses instead of accepting one-word answers

• I implemented daily speaking routines such as turn-and-talk and “Stand to Speak”

• I reduced my own talk time to allow more space for student discussion

• I created clear expectations for how students should speak, listen, and respond to one another

These changes helped create a classroom environment where students felt more confident and accountable for sharing their thinking.

I didn’t always see myself as a leader. In fact, I never planned to work in education at all. But when I look back at my life, I realize I’ve been shaped for this work long before I ever stepped into a classroom.

I was born in Fort Knox and grew up in Hardin County. My story starts with two women who defined what strength looks like for me, my mom and Vera. My mom worked three jobs to provide for me, all while carrying pain that most people never saw. She showed me what it means to keep going, even when life is heavy. She also showed me what it looks like to choose yourself; to walk away from something harmful because you deserve better.

And then there was Vera, my babysitter, but really my second mom. From six weeks old until I was sixteen, she helped raise me. She taught me how to walk, helped me with homework, and loved me like I was her own. I didn’t just grow up with support, I grew up watching what it looks like when people step in for others, even when they don’t have to. 

But my childhood wasn’t easy. I experienced things no child should have to go through; abuse, instability, being a drug mule for my biological father as a five year old, and exposure to situations far beyond my age. Those experiences could have broken me. Instead, they built something in me; resilience, awareness, and a deep understanding of what kids carry with them when they walk into a classroom.

That’s why this work matters to me.

I didn’t choose education at first. My cousin convinced me to take a job as a paraeducator at William Wells Brown Elementary School. I walked in on day one unsure, unprepared, and honestly not wanting to be there long-term. That same day, I was stabbed with a pair of scissors by a student. Most people would have walked out and never come back.

But I didn’t.

Because even with that moment, I felt something I couldn’t ignore that day, I felt like I made a difference. And that feeling stayed with me.

Since then, I’ve never left.

What calls me to leadership is not a title, it’s responsibility. I know what it feels like to be a child navigating things that no one else sees. I know what it means to need someone to show up for you, consistently and without judgment. That’s the injustice I’m working against; the idea that students are defined by their circumstances instead of supported through them.

My values weren’t always clear to me, but they were always being built; through my mom’s perseverance, Vera’s unconditional love and care, and my own lived experiences. Now, those values show up in everything I do: resilience, empathy, advocacy, and a refusal to give up on kids, no matter what.

I lead because I’ve lived it.

I hope that by sharing my story, others will feel called to step up too. To show up for students, to push through hard days, and to believe that even small moments can change the trajectory of a child’s life.

When I think about deeper learning, I think about more than just content; I think about what students need in order to truly engage with that content in the first place. My belief is that students walk into my classroom carrying stories I may never fully know, and if those needs are not acknowledged, real learning cannot happen.

At The Promise Academy at William Wells Brown Elementary School, I see my role as more than just delivering instruction. I am responsible for creating an environment where students feel seen, supported, and safe enough to take risks in their learning. When I show up consistently, lead with patience, and refuse to give up on my students, I am helping them learn how to learn, not just academically, but emotionally and socially as well.

My personal experiences have shown me the power of having even one adult who chooses to stay, and that directly shapes how I teach. I work to build relationships that allow students to connect to the content, to each other, and to their own lives. When students begin to see that their experiences matter and can be used as a strength, they start to develop a sense of purpose.

Because the truth is, our students are walking into our classrooms carrying stories we may never fully know. They need more than instruction; they need consistency, empathy, patience, how THEIR life experiences contribute to THEIR learning experiences, and someone who refuses to give up on them.

Be that person!
Be the one who shows up anyway.
Be the one who sees past the behavior and into the story.
Be the one who chooses to stay, even on the hardest days.

Because for some students, one adult choosing to stay can change everything.

I know that, because someone once did that for me.