I am starting my 22nd year at the Grove. I have served at Union Grove starting out as a volunteer, then as a substitute teacher, then being hired as a paraprofessional and moving on to teaching in the Reading Lab as the Reading Interventionist. This year, I will serve as the District Dyslexia teacher. While working as a paraprofessional, I went back to college to become a teacher. I graduated in 2007 from LeTourneau University with my Bachelor's of Interdisciplinary Studies degree with a Generalist EC-4 certificate. I went back to LeTourneau for my Masters in Education earning a specialization in Curriculum and Instruction in 2010. Since then, I have earned the following certificates: ELAR 4-8, ESL, and Special Education K-12. My belief about teaching is that it is not "just a job". Teaching is a calling or mission, that which all other careers stand upon. Making a positive difference in a child's life is my goal. Not only do I desire to teach a child how to read, but to also help them to believe in themselves so they can inspire others. I believe success breeds success and the responsibility to educate these students falls on everyone at Union Grove. We work together as a team and as a family for what's best for the child. I am very proud to be a part of a school that cares about the students. It's a great day to be a lion!