About Dr. Dymes

 I teach English Language Arts for the Outstanding Owls. In sunny south Florida, I earned my Bachelor's degree.  After graduation, I relocated to North Carolina with my husband and our two daughters.  I am a National Board Certified Teacher in Literacy for Early Adolescents and Young Adults, and in 2013, I completed my Master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).  I have earned my Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Urban Literacy from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, where I continue to work as an adjunct professor.  My research interests include adolescents' reading motivation and teacher text selections for diverse audiences.  

 I have spent the several summers in Xi'an, China prior to Covid, working closely with Jiaotong University to  teach English.  The past two years of the program, my entire family was able to join me, and they loved to explore the city, surrounding areas, and distance cities by high-speed train.  We have made many close friendships with the students and community in Xi'an, whom I dearly miss.

In our community, I serve families through a wide range of educational services.  For example, I have started ¨Laurie´s Language Academy¨ to serve various literacy needs beyond the school day.  Through LLA, I teach English to classes of language-learning adults in our community and support students at the middle school level who need support with phonological awareness.  

While I do get to work with adolescents in our community, I am also honored to work with pre-service and current teachers as an adjunct professor in the Middle, Secondary, and K-12 Department at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.  I proudly serve the North Carolina Association of Middle Level Education Board as the current journal and love to feature the great work of our middle schools across the state.  

In my spare time, I love to explore North Carolina with my husband and two daughters, Keara and Meghan, jeep-style.  We love to set up our hammocks mid-hike for naps and quiet reading in the outdoors.  During the weekends and holidays, we can be found testing the limits in our jeeps and seeking out new places to explore.  Additionally, I love to read and have had the pleasure of having books change my thinking and my life.  

I look forward to working with your family this school year.