Greetings
The purpose of this website is to highlight aspects of my professional life. I am always open to discuss the nature of teaching and learning (both in the K-12 setting as well as the collegiate setting) and hope that you will find areas in which we share a common interest. Please feel free to contact me to open a dialogue.
Teacher
I am fortunate to be an Assistant Professor in the Teacher Education Department at Elon University. I currently have completed my third academic year teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses. I previously taught in a similar program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. My K-12 experience includes teaching 7th grade science at John R. Kernodle Middle School in Greensboro, North Carolina and various high school science courses in West Palm Beach, Florida. For more information about my professional experiences, view my current vitae .
Professional
As a teacher educator, I have developed partnerships with the faculty and staff at Gibsonville Elementary School in Gibsonville, North Carolina and Sedalia Elementary School in Sedalia, North Carolina. These partnerships contribute tremendously to the professional growth of my students and have enriched my own development as an effective teacher educator.
My scientific interests are grounded in the environmental sciences. I am particularly interested in herpetology and aquatic ecology. I am an active member of NCPARC, North Carolina Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. I am also heavily involved in a high school level herpetology program called Slip Slid'n Away.
For the past three years I have collaborated with Cornell Lab of Ornithology on several of their K-12 citizen science curriculum projects. This has been an opportunity for me to combine my science educator expertise with my hobby of bird watching.
Scholarship
My scholarship has focused on two different areas: (1) K-12 science teaching and learning and (2) pre-service teacher development. I continue to think about how I can expand my scholarship in both of these areas.
Outside Elon
I enjoy spending time with my husband, Dave, and am actively involved in my church, Cornerstone Baptist Church. I teach Sunday School to senior adult women, teach children discipleship classes (grades K-5), sing in the adult choir, and direct various age-leveled handbell choirs. I enjoy cooking, sewing, fishing and gardening in my free time.