Children and learning are two of several great passions in my life.  Teaching is such a perfect combination of them both!  I love to learn, and I also love to participate in the learning process with others.  Children offer such a unique perspective and energy to learning.  They teach me in ways no one else can, so it is a privilege for me to share in their learning experiences.  I have lived in Cleveland my entire life.  I attended Cleveland City Schools from kindergarten, all the way through to graduating from Cleveland High School.  After graduating, I attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where I earned a degree in Early Childhood Education.  In 2006, I went back to UTC and earned a master's degree with a concentration in reading.  I taught Kindergarten at Stuart Elemntary from January of 2005 until May of 2011. I began teaching first grade in August of 2011.  In the summer of 2007, I worked with Olin through the Teachers Academy program offered by the Cleveland/Bradley County Chamber of Commerce.  My goal through this program was to gain work experience outside of Education in order to better prepare students for the workforce.  I used information gained through my experiences to develop lesson plans for our classroom.  Starting in the 2016/17 school year, I am priviledged to be serving Cleveland City Schools as a K-2 Teacher Leader in math.  This has been an excellent opprotunity to work with educators across our school system.  I also serve on Stuart's Leadership Team, as well as our Professional Development Committee.  I am a mentor for first year teachers, as well as a host teacher for many education students from Lee University and UTC for student teaching and observations.  Hopefully, I have given you an idea of who I am as a professional.  I look forward to getting to know each family that is represented by the students in my class!