Fun Facts

I am from Memphis, TN, the home of Elvis and the Blues! I have lived in seven different states, traveled all over the U.S. and also done quite a bit of traveling outside the U.S. Seeing new places and meeting interesting people is one of my favorite things to do. I have lived in Oregon for 3 and 1/2 years.

I love to volunteer. In Portland I have volunteered with The Transition Projects, The Oregon Food Bank, the Save Our Schools campaign, The Re-Store, and The Giving Tree. In other states I have been a volunteer for food pantries, Meals on Wheels, environmental organizations, voter registration and get out the vote drives, Habitat for Humanity, and soup kitchens.


My hobbies include sewing, gardening, and reading. I have made many of my own clothes and even some for other people as well. This year, in my garden, I am growing lettuce, spinach, herbs, squash, artichokes, peas, potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes. My favorite kinds of books to read are mysteries, adventure tales, and supernatural themed stories.

About Me

I am a friendly person with a positive outlook. I am organized, patient and compassionate. I believe strongly that every person should have opportunities for success no matter where they come from or what they start out with. I love learning and trying new things. Good health is important to me. I like to get outside and walk as much as possible, eat fresh, whole foods, and get plenty of rest and relaxation. I try to be a good listener and see the best in everyone I meet.

My work experience includes mainly teaching and community organizing. I started teaching pre- school in 1999 while I was completing my Bachelor's degree at the University of Missouri. I ended up loving it! I graduated with a degree in English/ Creative Writing and kept teaching pre- school. Wanting to take a break and try some new things, I moved to Colorado. That began my few years as an organizer. I helped to run campaigns, train volunteers, and change laws and policies. After moving around quite a bit, I ended up in Portland. Here I have been a nanny, worked with adults with developmental disabilities, and taught pre- school. I decided to go back to school in 2010 and am now finishing up my Master's in Education. I have been student teaching in second grade all year and I absolutely love it!

When working one-on-one with students, the first thing I want to do is to find out what they know already. This gives me an understanding of where to start and, sometimes, the student's interests and learning style. Asking a lot of questions to guide the student toward the answer is also a good way to help student's approach problem solving. Learning critical thinking skills and that there are often many ways to approach one problem can sometimes be more important that just having the correct answer. However, correct answers are important too. I try to be encouraging, focusing on a student's strengths to help them find their way to the correct answers and to remember how they got there. Finally, setting goals and being organized are key components to studying. I like to find out from students what their goals are and then help them set benchmarks and stay organized so that they can succeed.