EDUCATION

• B.A. English Literature
• M. Ed.
• Educational Leadership and Administration

EXPERIENCE

• English Language Arts and Reading Teacher - 15 years
• Grades 9-12 (On-Level, Pre-AP®, AP® Lang, AP® Lit, ESOL)
• Grades 7-8 (On-Level, Pre-AP®, ESOL, GT)
• English Vertical Team Leader (6-12)
• English Department Chair
• English Lead Teacher
• English Language Arts Instructional Specialist (9-12)
• Advanced Academics Instructional Specialist (7-12)
• College Board Reader 2008
• National Trainer of Jane Schaffer Academic Writing Program®

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Favorite Quote

"Love life. Engage in it. Give it all you've got. Love it with a passion because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it." - Maya Angelou

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Favorite Lesson

My favorite lesson is reading and helping teachers teach reading comprehension using the excerpt "Shane" by Dick Gregory. It is a rich memoir on how a teacher makes the narrator feel shame for being poor and not as privileged as her other students. Every time the teachers read it, they are touched by their own personal stories of how they felt at school or why they chose to be a teacher.

The JSWP prompt I have used with this selection is -- We all have childhood memories that help shape us into who we are today. Read "Shame." Then, in a well-developed essay, analyze Dick Gregory's attitude toward his past through his use of diction and figurative language.

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My JSWP "Aha" Moment

I recently worked with Advanced Placement® Spanish teachers and color-coded a Spanish essay; of course, I used our Jane Schaffer color. That's how my mind thinks. The teachers loved the color-coding and saw how easy and purposeful each color was. Jane Schaffer® colors have no language barriers. Everyone needs Jane Schaffer in their lives!