Tutorials are Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday from 8:15-8:45 AM and 3:15-4:30 PM. Virtual tutorials and M/F tutorials are by appointment only.
My teaching schedule is as follows:
1st block: Dual Credit English IV
A2: Dual Credit English IV B2: AP English IV
A3: Conference B3: English IV
A4: English IV B4: AP English IV
5th block: Conference
I've been teaching high school English since 2007, but I started teaching in 1998 at the University of North Texas while earning my Master's degree in Literature. I was an adjunct instructor at UNT for several years after graduating, then started teaching Montessori school after my first daughter was born. I read Goodnight Moon approximately 5,728 times during that period of my life, and I loved every single reading. Eventually, though, I felt pulled to share my love of reading with older students, reading things like Beowulf and Shakespeare instead.
I began teaching at a charter school in Denton, Texas, for at-risk students, which was the most rewarding (and most difficult) time of my career. Classroom management was trial by fire, but the students were some of the most amazing people I've ever met. I moved to Denton ISD in 2013, where I currently teach English IV, AP Literature and Dual Credit English IV at Ryan High School. I plan on teaching here until I retire (in about 20 years) because the staff and administration are truly dedicated to helping students succeed both in school and in life. I also work as a reading for the AP Literature Exam each year, which means that I spend a full week scoring essays that students from around the world write on the AP Literature Exam. In 2020, I was honored to be chosen as Ryan High School's Teacher of the Year.
I live in Denton, in the Ryan zone, with my husband of 20 years (who teaches Library Science at TWU) and our 12-year-old child. Our older child is a freshman at Texas Woman's University, after graduating from RHS in 2021. We have way too many pets at our house, including a dog (Mr. Baker, who is a chihuahua/wiener dog mix), a snake (named The Snake), two bunnies (named J.J. and Lee), and a tarantula (whose name I refuse to acknowledge). It's a little chaotic, but we have lots of fun taking neighborhood walks and spending time at the Denton Square. Recycled Books and Beth Marie's ice cream are two of our Denton favorites!