Location: North Richland Hills, TX
Education: B.B.S. in Elementary Education from Hardin-Simmons University
Years Experience Teaching: 23
Years Experience In Dyslexia: 10
Teaching Experience
Resource Elementary and Middle School Teacher
3rd Grade Teacher
4th Grade Teacher
STAAR and Dyslexia Interventionist
CALT/Dyslexia Therapist
Professional Affiliations
ALTA- Academic Language Therapy Association
Programs Trained In
Multisensory Teaching Approach (MTA)
Alphabetic Phonics
Build, Pre-Flight, and Take Flight
Age Range You Feel Most Comfortable With:
K-12
Why did you decide to become a CALT?
I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a school teacher. Later on in my career, I took a job as a dyslexia interventionist. However, early on, I realized my training was inadequate to properly teach my students with dyslexia. I decided to pursue more extensive training by becoming a CALT so that I would know that I was teaching with fidelity. As a CALT, I now have the knowledge to change lives and advocate for my own children that have dyslexia.
Favorite moment working with dyslexic students?
My favorite moments the last few years have been working with my Kinder and 1st grade students in the Build program. It’s amazing to see them start the year working on identifying the letters of the alphabet to then listening to them read 4-5 letter words by the end of the year. The joy they have knowing they can be successful in class makes me proud to be their teacher!
Your goal when working with kids with dyslexia?
My goal for my students is for them to know that while dyslexia can make learning challenging it is also a gift! There are so many neat things kids with dyslexia can do. It’s my job to build them up and continuously remind them of their strengths.
Your teaching style, personality?
My teaching style is to build a relationship with each student. I wholeheartedly believe that “student’s don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” I enjoy hearing about extra curricular activities or special interests each student has. Take Flight is a fast paced curriculum but adding in some humor, positivity, and encouragement is my goal.
Any family details?
I have been married to my husband, Matthew for 19 years and we live in the DFW area. We have twin girls in middle school that have dyslexia and a son in elementary that has dysgraphia. We adore our dogs, Benny the Great Pyrenees/Lab and our foster fail Winnie the doodle. Most weekends you can find us at the local dog park, watching my girls at dance competitions, or helping in the nursery at church.
