Mentor Biography

After receiving my Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education and K-8 certification in Elementary Education from Glassboro State College (now known as Rowan University) in New Jersey, I went on to complete a Masters program in Child Development and Family Relations at West Virginia University. My Teaching career started at the kindergarten level, while simultaneously working towards K-12 Special Education Endorsement.

During my 25 years in education, I have enjoyed a multitude of teaching experiences that have been at the elementary, middle and high school levels, including both regular and special education classes. Twenty of those years have been in the MatSu Borough Schools. Most recently, I have worked as a District-Wide Reading Specialist and Secondary Literacy Specialist. These positions have focused on supporting educational staffs to use data to inform instruction, by identifying student needs, appropriate materials/resources, and instructional routines to enhance/accelerate student learning. In these positions, I worked with schools, individual teachers, grade levels, and content-areas. Not one to shy away from a challenge, I have enjoyed providing professional development to educators through the teaching of numerous college level classes. Past experiences in California and Connecticut provided me the opportunity to work with infant, toddlers and parents.

With a wide age-span of learners to teach and learn from, I have been able to put that experience to use in rural West Virginia, suburban California, and both on and off the road system in Alaska. This educator thrives on the challenges that education brings, the satisfaction of enhancing teachers' instructional routines, and the end result of improved student learning!