I’m a Special Education Teacher and Reading Interventionist at New Directions Academy. I’m a graduate of Dickson County High School; earning my B.A. from a small liberal arts college in Pasadena, CA. I then worked in Southern CA more than 10 years as international coordinator for a multi-language magazine, during which time I met my husband-to-be, John, then a teacher in Los Angeles. Soon after our first son was born, we returned to Tennessee to be nearer family. John began teaching in Dickson County; and I completed my M.Ed. from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in 2004, majoring in Special Education. My focus areas of study were in High Incidence Disabilities (including sudents with Learning Disabilities, and students with Emotional & Behavioral Disorders), and students with Visual Impairments. In 2011, I completed my Reading Specialist endorsement at Belmont University. This 2020-21 school year will be my 17th year of teaching.

John & I have two grown sons, both also graduates of Dickson County High School, and now college grads as well.

I’m a lifelong learner with a passion for helping students discover or grow in their own passion for learning. One of my greatest joys as a teacher is when a student discovers a new interest or individual talent, and grows in confidence as he/she develops that interest & utilizes that talent in the classroom and beyond. I love the process of meeting students where they are, finding out how they learn best & what motivates them; and then using this invaluable information to help them continue to learn and grow to the next level.