I am honored to be a part of the Dr. Justina Ford Elementary School family as a 5th grade teacher! I am especially passionate about building community through respectful relationships, teaching every child and embracing the diversity of learning in the classroom, and engaging all kids through real world content connections using innovative collaborative strategies and practices.

I have had the pleasure of teaching in the intermediate elementary grades for over 20 years, mostly as a fourth and fifth grade teacher as well as a reading interventionist for striving third grade readers. I earned a Bachelors of Arts in Early Childhood Education-Elementary Education, a Masters of Science in English for speakers of other languages and culturally/ linguistically diverse populations, my National Board certification as a middle childhood generalist, the Master Teacher designation from the state of Colorado, the Presidential Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics in 2020 and the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms grant in 2023. I have served on the Colorado Department of Education’s 2022 Social Studies standards revision committee, as a core team member of the PYP International Baccalaureate implementation for my school, and as a district model classroom for math teachers. Some of my favorite trainings have included the Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute, Adaptive Schools, PBL with the Buck Institute, Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures, and Add+Vantage Math.

I love pursuing what’s new in the world of education and advocating for the rights of each child to have access to accomplished instruction from each teacher, everyday. It is my passion and privilege to help all kids grow as thinkers and learners by loving and educating the whole child, setting and meeting high expectations, and creating an environment of high engagement and choice.

When I’m not in the classroom, I love to read, spend time with great neighbors and friends, play golf, watch baseball, admire beautiful works of art and the wonder of Colorado, relax with yoga, and sing.