Welcome to FAVE!!  Here's a little information about myself!  My family and I have lived in Decatur for 9 years now.  We have three sons: Griffin (5), Worth (4), and Archie (9 months).  Griffin will attend our neighborhood school of Westchester this year!!  We are members of Decatur First Methodist Church, enjoy spending time at Toy Park, and we certainly take advantage of all the fun Decatur has to offer!

I completed my undergrad degree from the University of Georgia.  I earned my Masters degree in Reading Education from Georgia State University, and then returned to school one more time to complete my Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Instruction.  I also have my Gifted Endorsedment.  This will be my 14th year teaching and my 4th year at the 4/5 Academy.  In the 2014 school year, I was honored to be selected as my school's Teacher of the Year. 

In my classroom, I love seeing engaged and enthusiastic learners.  I enjoy teaching through high-interest texts and media of all kinds: novels, picture books, magazines, newspapers, podcasts, current events, poetry, and more! I encourage students to be risk-takers in their learning and creativity.  I believe in inquiry-based learning and enjoy using science experiments and hands-on math to help students understand at a deeper level. I love learning about students as individuals and celebrating their strengths and also finding ways to help them grow!