About the Teacher

´¨*:•ƸӜƷ¨ In short I am a wife, mother of 2 wonderful boys, nature lover, owner of the cutest boston terrier and a happy artist in my spare time. ƸӜƷ.*•.,¸¸,:•:*¨

(¸.•´ .ƸӜƷ¸.•*¨My HistoryƸӜƷ.•´¸.•*¨) 

I grew up living between the US and Brazil. Beginning in 2002, I taught adult English Language Learners until 2010. Because of my husband's job, I also lived abroad a second time in France. I understand 4 languages and it is my passion to work with multilingual learners. 

This is my 8th year at Paris. 

My desire in the classroom setting is to give hope to students and their parents. I am only one story of a second language success as I now speak and write English better than all 4 other languages I’ve studied. It has always been my passion to work with second language children guiding them like I was.


I understand what it’s like not to understand anything. When I was 10 years old I came to the United States from Brazil. I had lived on the amazon with the indigenous people speaking a dialect of Portuguese. Many things about the US culture were unfamiliar and strange to me seeing as I had run around without shoes and shirts for most of my childhood. 

I had trouble speaking English even though my parents could. I preferred Portuguese and had not used English much in my daily life. I would constantly mix my languages and was put in a grade lower than people my age. I went to Summer school for 2 years in math and reading. At school I was constantly pulled out from the class for resource and RTI because in the 1980s there was no ESOL program in Berea of all places. My mother fought for me to stay in mainstream classes because the district wanted me to go into a self-contained classrooms. Which was the best they could offer at the time for an ELL. 

Eventually I gained the academic knowledge I needed and graduated with all A’s. In College I went on to graduate Cum Laude. I stand before you now as a person who is able to speak English better than all 4 languages I currently understand.  I want you to understand that there is great hope. I am only one story of a second language success. The point is never give up! Always try your best and your hard work will pay off.  I am on your side and I will do everything I can to get you where you need to be. 

Entiendo como uno siente cuando no entiende nada. Cuando yo tenia 10 anos mi familia y yo nos mudamos de Brasil a los Ustados Unidos. En Brasil mi familia vivia en una comunidad de indigenas en la region amazonica. Yo hablaba un dialecto de Portuguese como la gente de la region donde yo vivia. Yo no conocia mucho de la cultura de los Estados Unidos y muchas cosas aqui eran extranas para mi.  Porque cuando yo vivia en la Amazonica yo andaba descalzo y como los demas ninos que Vivian en la comunidad. 

Mis padres hablaban bien el Ingles porque Ingles es su lengua materna. Pero yo no habblaba bien el idioma de Ingles. Cuando vivia en Brasil no hablaba ingles diariamente y hablaba Portuguese casi todo el tiempo. Despues de que nos mudamos a los E. U. yo constatamente mezclaba los dos idiomas y me  pusieron en un grado por debajo de los otros estudiantes de mi edad. Fui a la escuela de verano por dos anos tomando cursos de matematica y lectura. Durante el año escolar me sacaban de mi clase frecuentemente para dar me apoyo extra en la clase de recurso (education especial) y la clase de lectura intensive, porque en esta epoca no tenian clases de ingles para personas que hablan otro idioma (ESOL) Ni en Berea si pueden Imaginar! Durante de este tiempo mi mama luchaba por mi. Ella me ayudaba con todo de mis trabajos. 

Finalmente yo logre el concimiento academico que necesitaba y me gradue de high school sacando notas de A’s en todas las materias. En la Universidad yo me gradue  con honores Cum Laude de Clemson.  Ahora estoy parada aqui al frente de ustedes diciendoles que yo ya hablo ingles major de caualquier de los ortos tres idiomas que yo hablo. Quiero que sepan que hay mucha esperanza. Y soy solo uno delos casos de personas que habla otro idioma que ha tenido exito. El punto es “nunca se da por vencido!” Siempre haz todo el esfuerzo possible y su trabajo duro dara fruto. Yo estoy aqui para apoyarles y voy hacer todo lo possible para ayudarles lograr todo lo que quieran, lo que pueden, y lo que necesitan.



After graduating from Clemson in Early Childhood education I began teaching 1st grade in 1998. When Wade Hampton Elementary was combined with Lake Forest, in a new location I began teaching 2nd grade. After having my first child in 2002, I taught adults because of the flexibility in hours. 


My first class of students at Wade Hampton Elementary

Our Adult ELL Christmas presentation 

During that time at the Life Long Learning Center in Greenville County, I taught classes in Spanish, English to Adults, and even subbed in the GED program. I also taught and designed childcare re-certification classes for the state. 


In the summer of 2019, I graduated a second time from Clemson University with a Masters in Literacy with a focus on English Language Learners. Currently, I am teaching Multilingial Learners at Paris Elementary.