"As an early childhood educator, my practice is deeply rooted in constructivist approaches to learning. As a reflective practitioner and mentor, I have applied adult learning theory and strong interpersonal skills to build the capacity of both novice and experienced educators to successfully teach diverse and underserved student populations. Effective reading instruction depends on a deep understanding of brain development and current research in the science of reading. Without a strong foundation in this field, many teachers rely on the methods they remember from their own childhood. Adults often struggle to recall what it felt like to learn to read, which can make instruction less responsive to students’ needs. Over the past 28 years, I have taught young children and coached teachers in supporting early literacy. Through this work, I have learned that brain development strongly influences which reading skills children are ready to master. For this reason, I ground professional development in cognitive science and how the brain learns, often helping accomplished teachers see why practices refined through years of experience are effective.

I am a National Board Certified early Childhood Generalist teacher. I hold certification in Early Childhood Education, Art K-12, Secondary Social Studies, and School Leadership. I earned my Ph.D. in Educational Leadership by researching Urban African American Head Start Boys Living Successful Emergent Literacy Head Start Teachers of Urban African American Boys Living in Poverty. My background and experiences uniquely places me as someone who can support teachers panning to work in urban schools with young children." less...