The beginning

I can't believe that I am actually doing this.  I am going to attempt to further my educational learning by blogging. Immediately, all of the images from the movie "Julie and Julia" flash through my head.  After only a short time, I am going to become the most popular blog mentioned in Educational Weekly.  I will be commissioned to write a book and then comes the book tour and a regular to fill in for Kathie Lee or Hoda on the "Today" show.

Okay, that may take a while to happen.  So, in the meantime I am hoping to reach out to others who feel that teaching children to read, write, and comprehend is the best thing that we can do for our school children today.

I have been teaching for 18 years all in the same district.  I have been lucky to wear many different hats in those 18 years.  I taught 3rd grade for 9 years.  I then had my first little darling, and came back to work part time.  I job-shared with a very good friend of mine.  We taught the gifted program together at our school.  She taught the reading and I taught the math.  We did that for 3 years.  I then had my second little darling and decided to come back to teaching full time.  I then taught the gifted program full time at a different school in my district.  I did that for 2 years.  I was very much intrigued by a position in our district called "Curriculum Leader."  This intrigued me because I saw that it was a great opportunity to help teachers in the classroom.  I did this for one year and kept the gifted math portion of that job.  I then went way out on a limb and took a job as our school librarian.  I quickly realized that I needed to get back to what I love which is working more directly with students.  I then became a reading specialist.  I went back to the school that I originally started at, and have been doing that for 2 years now.  I also just recently finished my school administrator's Masters' degree.

I have been married to my husband for almost 17 years.  I have two daughters age 9 and 6.  I live and teach in a suburb outside of Chicago.

I hope you will join me in my journey!