I’ve always been a teacher. I remember in high school volunteering at an elementary school and knowing that place felt safe, comfortable, and I could see the learning going on. I ended up teaching as soon as I got out of Metro.  I tried teaching middle school and high school, but I was never as successful as I was teaching, coaching, and being an administrator in elementary school.

As the principal at Lumberg elementary school in Edgwater, I was able to accomplish many things but none more important than student engagement and student safety. I challenged the whole staff by doing things like extending the school day, moving from transitional bilingual to Dual Language, increasing parent involvement, and creating a multi-year project that resulted in the installation of a $140,000 brand new playground for the community. There were many moving parts to this project but I knew that it was important for all of the students (and their brothers and sisters) in that community to be able to have a safe place to play.

Being at HMH sharpened my presenting skills immensely – I presented to a group of over 2500 teachers in the Bahamas last month as a plenary speaker alongside Doug Reeves.  I talked about how the teachers of young learners have an opportunity to switch their thinking from trying to re-create the classroom experience at home to putting themselves in the shoes of their students and create an experience different from class but still focused on learning, practice, and reflection.  I am the teacher that always has to connect a new piece of learning to something the students know and can relate to.  I cannot just give information; practice and application is essential to any new skill.