Experience

Professional Experience

I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Linguistics. After working at a bookstore, a law firm, and UT Health Services, I decided to pursue a career in education. I earned my teaching certificate in English Language Arts and Reading for 4th through 8th grades in 2007, and later added a second certification for 8th through 12th grades.

I spent the first nine years of my career teaching 7th and 8th grade Language Arts and Reading at Ridgeview Middle School in Round Rock ISD. In 2016, I accepted a position at Providence Hall, a small private school in Fredericksburg for students with learning differences. While at Providence Hall, I taught English, History, Agricultural Studies, Communications, Study Skills, and co-taught a project-based STEM course for 6th through 12th grades. Providence Hall closed in 2018, and I began teaching 8th grade Language Arts at Comfort Middle School.

Over the years, I have tutored students from 3rd through 12th grade in all subjects, provided writing assistance for students in middle school through graduate school, and provided time-management support to students of all ages.

Continuing Education Courses

One cannot be a successful educator without being an active and enthusiastic learner. The following is a list of the highlights of my continuing education courses:

Barry Lane Writing Conference
Behavior Education Program
Brain-Based Learning with Eric Jensen
College Board: Pre-AP English & Springboard Language Arts
CPR Certification Training
Dyslexia Awareness and Strategies for the Classroom
ELPS Academy: English Language Arts
English I & II End of Course Training
Heart of Texas Writing Project
Humanities Texas:
Teaching and Understanding the Short Story
Teaching Shakespeare
Teaching the American Literary Tradition
Teaching Texas Literature
Teaching the American Revolution
Teaching Critical Reading and Engaged Writing
Junior Master Gardener Training
Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies
Love and Logic
NASA Space Camp for Educators at United States Space & Rocket Center
Positive Behavioral Intervention System
Region XIII Dyslexia Conference 2007, 2010
Response to Intervention Institute
Reviving Reading Instruction
STAAR Writing the Short Answer Response
Standards Based Grading
Strategic Instruction Model
TALA Content Area Leveled Questions for Comprehension
TALA Motivating and Engaging Reading Strategies in the Middle School
Teaching the Struggling Reader
Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy
Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment
21st Century Skills for 21st Century Students
Wilson Reading System Introductory Workshop