I love teaching! Even in the craziness of the pandemic, I am astounded at the resilience of my students and the flexibility of my colleagues. I would not want to repeat the past 18 months, but what I have taken away from it is knowing that I can make lessons engaging and entertaining, that games are a great way to teach and review content, and that building relationships with my students must be a top priority.

I am a graduate of Fairfield University, where I majored in History and Education. I have a Masters' degree from the University of Connecticut in Educational Technology. I have been teaching 8th grade U.S. History for 17 years. Specifically, the time period I know the most about is early American history from the creation of the 13 Colonies to the Reconstruction Era.

I also teach literacy skills throughout my curriculum, with a focus on reading comprehension, text analysis, and informational and argument writing. Clear communication skills - both verbal and written - are 21st century skills that all students can be successful with. Some students may just need a different approach, more time, or some extra practice to get there.