Educational Insights Today

I have been teaching since 1979 and have enjoyed every minute of it! I have always been involved with reading and books. I served as my school's librarian for six years. Over the years I have done a little bit of everything. This makes for an interesting perspective. One of my joys was a literary club. We met once a week in the library. From grades one through seven, children communed with the books and wrote wonderful stories. The student mentoring and sharing of ideas was a thrill to watch. I enjoyed providing the opportunity then stepping back so as not to get in the way!

No one Teaching style really fits. I enjoy being flexible and trying new methods as needed. It really depends on the children. I feel the direct teaching of phonics and reading comprehension is important. The same goes for mathematical number sense. I like open-ended activities that promote critical thinking. I try to be the facilitator rather than the center of attention.

I won the 1984 Teacher Enrichment Grant at my school and traveled to Japan and the Philippines the year President Marcos was ousted. I participated in The Temagami Experience, a Canadian retreat focused on community building. I've mentored student teachers from Tulane University and Loyola University of the South. I participated in a teacher mentoring program at Trinity Episcopal School in New Orleans, LA. My current school, CES, took in more than 100 "Katrina Kids" after the storm. This was a blessing all around amid the reality of the hurricane.

B.S. Degree in Elementary Education (Grades 1 through 8), M.Ed. Degree (Reading Specialist) Loyola University of the South, Certified Godly Play Teacher, Junior Great Books Teacher, Project Read Teacher, Guided Reading Teacher, Productive Thinking Teacher, Librarian, Reading Tutor, Participated in a workshop on How to Deal With Difficult People ( Very useful!)

When I was younger, I worked on yearbooks, put on talent shows, monitored cheerleaders, and did many other after school activities. These days I teach 2nd grade reading groups, 1st and 2nd grade Spanish, and 1st and 2nd grade Godly Play. I teach in an Episcopal school. I've also served as a librarian and a homeroom teacher for grades 8, 4, and 2. I am very interested in Louisiana Studies and love to make clip art.