My name is Tonya Walton. I am 51 years old, and I’m not married. Also, I don’t have any children, but I have two nieces I adore. I received my Bachelor’s of Science in Education in 1996; my Master’s of Arts in Education in Curriculum and Instruction in 2008; and EdS in Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development in 2015. I have been a classroom teacher for 26+ years and have taught grades 2, 4, 5, and 6. I taught all academic subjects but have been the Springdale Elementary Library Information Specialist for the last two years. 

Becoming a librarian was the greatest gift that I could offer the students. I love reading books to students, and I wanted to instill that love for reading in students. The students at my school don’t desire to read because they can’t read or despise reading. When I was a lad in school, I was in instructional resource for reading because I was a slow learner. Students would tease me because I couldn’t read well, and I began to loathe reading books. When I became a teacher, I decided to make reading fun, which I plan to continue to do as a librarian. I enjoy helping students find new books, resources, and research methods to conduct and write book reports to support their curious minds.