Cheese! Cheese! Cheese! That is my passion! The most important thing to know about me is that I LOVE CHEESE! I also accept chocolate and jelly beans. 
My family is who I am. I have been married to Jake for 9 years in August. We have 2 daughters; Hayley turns 7 in August and Miranda turns 4 in September. The hairy part of our family includes 4 dogs; Cheerio the beagle is 6, Gus Gus the yorkie is 1 and 1/2, August the yellow lab is 1, and Ty the great dane is 8 months. As you can tell, it is safe to say that WE LOVE DOGS TOO!
Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma I was raised in the small town of Tecumseh. Attending Seminole State College yielded an Associates Degree before moving on to the University of Central Oklahoma to earn a Bachelors Degree in Sociology of Chemical Dependency. My degree is unique because it trained me to counsel individuals and families dealing with addictions. The first years of my career involved teaching Life Skills such as decision making, goal setting, anger management, drug and alcohol refusal, peer relations, and other valuable skills in public schools. Emphasis was placed on educating students K-12 in traditional school settings and alternative school settings as well as providing parental education and community awareness. Upon moving to St. Louis, MO I stayed home with my first daughter. While living in St. Louis for 2 years I became a die hard Cardnials fan. My return to Tulsa led me to brief positions as an office assistant, bank teller, and new resident greeter before returning to teaching in 2006. Joining the staff of Gilcrease Intermediate School in North Tulsa, I taught 6th grade World Cultures. The 2007-2008 school year brought me to my home away from home when I began to teach 5th grade at Oak Crest Elementary.
During the 2008-2009 school year I will again be teaching Language Arts, Reading, Writing, and Social Studies. My favorite subject is Social Studies, however I have discovered that I love teaching students to write with energy and creativity. I look forward to the upcoming school year for many reasons. The 5th grade team of teachers are phenomenal and come to this year with joy and enthusiasm to teach. I am thrilled to be a part of the Oak Crest family which includes our amazing students. One of my favorite things about teaching 5th grade is having high expectations for my students at the beginning of the year and watching them exceed those expectations by the end of the year. Our support staff is amazing and our fearless leader is at the top of her game.
In addition to family and teaching I enjoy reading, creating new things, researching, playing softball(or most other sports), watching movies, scrapbooking, and taking naps!