About Me "Everbody seeks happiness! Not me, though! That’s the difference between me and the rest of the world. Happiness isn’t good enough for me! I demand euphoria!"- Calvin (of theCalvin & Hobbes comic strip)
I'm currently in my 13th year of teaching English Language Arts at the Dr. An Wang Middle School. I started out teaching just 8th grade and happily started looping with 7th and 8th graders 10 years ago. I love teaching in Lowell and I brag about my students almost as much as I brag about my own kids. Kayla is 11 years old and is in 6th grade at the Dr. An Wang Middle School. Finnegan is 7 years old and attends the Children's Center For Communication at Beverly School for the Deaf.
You'll probably hear a lot about me, my kids, and what life is like when your family includes a special needs child. On top of being deaf, Finn is also neurodivergent and though many people think he is autistic, it is more likely that he has something called Angelman's Syndrome. Because Finn is deaf, I have learned a lot of American Sign Language and I absolutely LOVE practicing it with my students. I would talk a little bit about Kayla here, but being in the 6th grade at the same school I teach at, I have been forbidden from writing anything about her or else I will face her wrath. Hahaha.
I grew up in Chelmsford and attended the Academy of Notre Dame in Tyngsboro, MA for grade school and high school. I did most of my undergraduate and graduate schooling at UMass Lowell with a semester at the National University of Ireland- Galway.
Right now, I live in Chelmsford with my kids and my partner (who some of you *may* know ;0). In my free time I love spending time in the White Mountains SKIING, hiking, and camping.
Besides my kids and my students, my other passion is reading. I became an ELA teacher because I love to read so much and want other kids to learn how to love reading. I try to stay current with all the newest Y.A. books and one of my favorite parts of teaching is getting to talk about these books with the kids.
When you have a moment, take some time to explore my virtual classroom!