My Story

When I was a new teacher, what I wanted more than anything was for someone to validate the work I was doing. Teaching kids was my life - so much so that my husband put a one year limit on how long I was allowed to talk about nothing but school!

​

As years passed, I tried new things. I pushed envelopes, empowered students, and generally rocked out. Still doubt lingered. "Am I doing this right?"

​

Eventually, I decided to pursue National Board Certification. "Surely," I thought aloud, "They're the experts on what an excellent teacher looks like. If I'm an NBCT, then I'll have external proof that I'm a master practitioner." But my heart whispered, "Please just tell me I'm really a good teacher."

​

I earned NBCT certification. It was exciting, and I spent waaaayyy too much money getting my certificate professionally matted and framed. But guess what? I didn't find what I was looking for. The sense of longing to be valued was still there.

​

Finally, I found peace in two ways. First, my dear friend Cathleen Beachboard invited me to coauthor a book with her. Talk about encouragement! Then, I joined a community of teachers, librarians, and coaches that held one another in high esteem. These folks laughed with me on good days and listened hard on days when I was madder than Alice's Hatter. They fed my need to be seen and heard, and I thought, "This is what I really want to do." I like students. They're cool and fun. But as it turns out, I love teachers.

​

So this year, I'm starting doctoral work at UVA full time. My end goal is showing up and standing out for teachers. Life is hard for public educators. My purpose-driven passion is to bridge the gap between what people say they believe about teachers and what they actually do.

 

If you're reading this, I hope you'll point me towards a teacher in your life. I'd love to tell them, "Yes! You did that just right."