About Me

I have been teaching middle school for 15 years, although I often feel like I just began!

After a childhood highlighted by a love of reading and writing, I continued to foster my passion for literacy by earning a BA in English from Colorado State University and later, from Colorado Mesa University, an MA in Teacher Leadership. Currently, in addition to teaching sixth grade writing at Centennial Middle School, I serve as the building instructional coach, a role that allows me to help teachers better meet the needs of their students.

In 2017, I was selected by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) as the secondary lead and co-chair for the revision of the Colorado Academic Standards for Reading, Writing, and Communicating. That experience gave me a deep understanding of the rationale, structure, and research behind the expectations for secondary standards. Our team of educators collaborated for over a year to ensure that the standards were based on best-practice and developmentally rigorous, in order to best prepare Colorado's students for post-graduate success.

In addition to my work in the classroom and CDE, I serve as a facilitator for the Colorado Writing Project, a graduate course through the University of Colorado, Denver that helps educators across the country institute writing workshop.

Outside of the classroom, my favorite thing to do (other than reading and writing) is spend time with family: my husband, son, and three miniature Australian Shepherds. We love camping, traveling, exploring, and just enjoying our time together!