About Me

May 25, 2020 

My Transition from the Classroom to School Administration

Why Administration?

I believe that I will have a larger more powerful impact on student achievement if I could bring more teachers together...if I could bring an entire school community together focused on the same vision/mission.  If I could become the "Lead Learner" of a school.

I'm just getting started though.  I'm not there yet...I have a lot to learn about becoming an Effective Principal.  It's a process...A new challenge...An exciting adventure.

I have worked for many different administrators over the last 26 years.  13 different principals to be exact.  13 different leadership styles.  Some were great leaders.  Some were not.  I believe that I can emulate the great ones and do better than those that were not so great.  I MUST be BETTER!

I am passionate about education, about teachers, about students, about learning, about growing, about adapting, about constantly striving to become better.  I MUST BECOME BETTER!

I stopped blogging 4 years ago...I took a step back to self-reflect.  To observe, learn, and grow.  I decided to challenge myself.  To try and reach more than the students within my small classroom.  To step outside of my comfort zone.  I taught Middle School 7th & 8th Grade ELA for the 2018-2019 School Year!  Then became an Administrative TOA (Teacher on Assignment) which is like an Assistant Principal Internship.

Caitlyn was once a part of my 3rd Grade Classroom, now she is a Senior!

Supervising never ends at the High School Level

Working the game! 

 High School sports always brings the community together!

I think I 'm ready to start blogging again.  This time with a different perspective.  With a wider lens.  To start sharing my process, my challenges, my exciting new adventure that will hopefully LEAD others to BECOMING BETTER!

April 27, 2014

It is hard for me to believe that this is my 20th year teaching!  I feel so old...  It all started in a small Eastern North Carolina Town in a private school for children with severe physical and mental disabilities.  This was a year round school and I began teaching only a couple of weeks after my graduation from East Carolina University.  I taught for almost a full year, but couldn't bring myself to return to work after my son Erik was born in April of 1995.  I wanted the summer off to be with him and my 22 month old daughter, Elizabeth. 

Here are by babies now, all grown up!

 I enjoyed my summer and started the 95-96 school year teaching students with severe and profound disabilities in a Middle School.  After three years I was recruited to run two adolescent group homes, one for girls and one for boys. I worked as a Case Manager, my job was to ensure students' success in public school and in the home.  I only spent a couple of years doing this since once again I worked  year round and I was tied to a pager 24-7.  Yikes!  Once my babies started to cry, holding onto my legs, begging me not to leave them when I arrived home and within minutes my pager would call me right back out again. I knew it was time for a change.   I couldn't stand being away from them or hearing them beg me to stay.  The only choice I had was to returned to the classroom once again. It was the best decision I ever made!

I moved from the Special Education world and into the General Education world when the big testing movement took off at the turn of the millennium.  I started out in a 4th grade classroom and loved it!  

In 2003, my husband and I returned to Florida where we met and attended High School Together.  I started teaching 3rd grade, then was moved into a reading intervention position which lead to my adventures with being a Reading First Coach.  I enjoyed the world of teacher professional reading development, but seriously missed working with children.  I left the world of coaching and returned to the classroom once again.  I started out in 2nd grade, was promoted to 3rd grade for two years, and then moved up to 4th!  This year I have a 3rd & 4th grade combination classroom.  I find it quite challenging, and much prefer teaching one curriculum/grade level at a time.  

I have a loving and wonderful husband, Al!  I convinced him to become a teacher after we relocated to Florida.  He teaches Engineering, Drafting, and Design at the High School Level and loves it!   

Here we are together over Christmas Break!  

My husband and I also take care of his little brother Sean.  Sean has Downs Syndrome and is a joy and added blessing to our family.  Here we are all together!

I hope you enjoy my blog and find it helpful to you in some way or another.  For me, it is an outlet to share what I love to do and collaborate with other brilliant teachers from around the world!