I first became a Lizzy Haddon Dragon in 2011 when I had the amazing experience of teaching third grade with a truly dynamic team. Following maternity leave, I returned as a second grade teacher, which is where I pursued my passion to become a certified Elementary Reading Specialist. For the past three years, I have worked as a Reading Specialist in Evesham Township Public Schools. In this position I was afforded the opportunity to work with small groups as well as individual students, providing systematic, explicit instruction that led to successful reading and writing experiences. 

I received my Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Sacred Heart University in 2001. After traveling to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, I returned to teach fourth grade at a private school in Darien, Connecticut. This led me back to SHU to complete a Masters of Arts in Education with a concentration in Reading in 2005. After graduating, I taught first grade for five years in the Greenwich Public Schools in Connecticut. In 2010 My husband and I seized the opportunity to relocate to Honolulu, Hawaii, where I taught first grade in a local public charter school. These highly diverse teaching roles taught me so much about appreciating cultural and socioeconomic differences and showed me the importance of using students’ strengths and interests as a springboard for success. 

Outside of teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two middle school daughters. As a family, we have traveled to many national parks, different states, and countries worldwide. We hope to visit each continent one day! Volunteering is an important part of our lives as well. I have always been an animal lover and enjoy volunteering for a local animal rescue group. We have three cats and a dog, who are all rescues and are considered family members. As the leader of my daughters’ Girl Scout troop, I have had the opportunity to promote leadership skills and self-confidence-building skills in my scouts. My biggest passion is, of course, reading. I can often be found reading two or three books at one time, alternating between professional books and novels.

I believe that effective teaching and learning begin with relationship building. As the Language Arts Specialist, I aim to build trusting relationships with students, teachers, administrators, and families that foster high achievement and success; and are built upon reflection, feedback, and open-mindedness. I truly enjoy working with students and feel the greatest sense of accomplishment when I can see their confidence soar in reading and writing. I believe that reading is not a natural process for most students and there needs to be a balance of systematic, explicit instruction, as well as a rich content-based curriculum to foster their achievement. I consider myself to be a forward thinker in terms of current evidence-based practices, and am eager to continue to learn and grow as a professional with my colleagues. 

I look forward to another year as the Language Arts Specialist in my absolute favorite school, Lizzy Haddon! Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns as we begin the new school year.