Education:
Experience:
Favorite Quote:
“The best way out is always through.” — Robert Frost
A Story About “My Kids” and My JSWP “Aha” Moment:
When I first became an educator, I felt like I was just trying to keep my head above water. I didn’t know where to begin with classroom management, let alone creating meaningful and engaging lessons for my students. I still remember the moment I asked my students to take out their writing journals. The audible sighs and the slump of their shoulders in disappointment made it clear: I wasn’t sparking excitement about writing. It hit me—I was going about it all wrong. I had assumed my students already knew the basics, and instead of teaching writing, I was merely assigning it.
In that moment, I realized, “This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. I want to make a change. I want them to be excited when I ask them to write!” From that day forward, I made it my mission to create experiences that would not only engage my students but also help them enjoy the thinking process behind writing. But how could I make that happen?
I remembered two of my high school English teachers and the strategies they taught me. Lucky for me, one of them was my mother whom I could call upon and ask for support. She reminded me of JSWP®, shared about the continued success her students experienced with the program, and added that they “loved” it. As I went through one of the Tiered Writing for Elementary trainings, I realized that the JSWP® simplifies and demystifies the writing process, making it accessible to all learners. I immediately thought of my students: This is it!
From then on, I thought in red, green, blue, black, and a little bit of yellow.
Not only did my students see significant gains in their writing - improving their likelihood of passing STAAR by over 40% - but I also never heard the same sigh or saw the slouched shoulders again. Instead, I witnessed excitement, determination, growth, and a genuine love of writing among my students. I still have students in middle school and beyond share their current writing pieces with me because they are proud - as they should be!
