I love having a fresh start each and every day with my students. We press reset and begin again. In teaching, we have the opportunity daily to profoundly impact a student's life, not only their education. I try my best to optimize my time with them and hope to develop their self-esteem, foster their independence, motivate them to try their best and above all else, to always be kind. Over the years, I have worked hard to establish a nurturing learning environment for my class as well as build deep connections with my students. On Monday mornings we love to share weekend writing journals and connect with their stories about their families and experiences. My husband Dom, 17 year old son Dominic, 15 year old daughter Alexa, as well as my two dogs, are discussed almost daily as we connect on a personal level. I believe that sharing so much about my life makes students feel incredibly important and involved. This in turn makes them eager to work hard for me and themselves... with the end result being we bring out the best in one another.

What I enjoy most about teaching in Wayne is the incredible relationships I have built over the years with my dedicated colleagues. At John F. Kennedy School, we have teams of teachers working collaboratively for a common goal. The goal being student success. As a school district, Wayne holds its students to a higher standard of education. As teachers, in order to support that high standard of student success, we need not only to be knowledgeable of our curriculum, prepared for our lessons, adaptable to change, diligent in time management, organized, inspiring, kind and compassionate, but simply put... also happy. Wayne has afforded me the opportunity to work with highly skilled, amazing colleagues who make me happy to come to work each day. As we work through the year, we remember to laugh a lot, eat lunch together, and listen. A special shout out to Lisa Liguori and Cathy Minervini for making me happy to teach with them and for being the best grade level partners a teacher could ask for!

What I find the most rewarding about being an education specialist is being able to have an impact on children. As a paraprofessional I get to help students with little things like learning to tie their shoes or being able to help them learn long division. From modeling appropriate social behavior at recess to playing drums in a band. There are so many things I love about being a paraprofessional that change year to year and class to class. You never know what is going to happen on any single day, but I truly love working as part of a team that does everything that they can to make the lives of our students better every single day!

As an employee of the Wayne Township Public School District, I get to work in the community where I live. Being out and about in town, I enjoy seeing the students I have worked with and their families as they get older. They always greet me with excitement and I enjoy returning that same excitement right back to them. I absolutely love where I live and work.