About Me: Viking & Mountaineer Spirit
I am a South Iredell High School graduate, but I did attend Lake Norman High through AP classes during its first year. I attended Iredell-Statesville schools since the 5th grade, so I know the system from the "student side" pretty well. I was difficult for me to cheer for my old high school rivals at first. However, I love our Wildcat spirit now!
I am a graduate of Appalachian State University. I moved from our nearby Lakeshore Middle School after teaching 7th grade language arts there for two years. I loved every minute at Lakeshore. The administration, faculty, and staff made both years wonderful for me. I miss my old home, but I truly love teaching family at Lake Norman High just as much!
You will quickly find that I love world cultures, especially Japan. I love learning new languages and reading stories from around the world. I hope to one day teach English in Japan! In this picture are some of my friends from the Appalachian State Japanese Club. Some of them came to North Carolina on an exchange program so that they could someday teach Japanese here.
Books: I love Shakespeare, so beware of his presence in the classroom! I also love poetry because it is open for interpretation, so any reader can enjoy it.
Until recently, I was focusing my reading on adolescent literature, but I will need to up my game for my new students. When I come across a good young-adult level read, I will be sure to recommend it on the webpage.
I also enjoy a good graphic novel. I know that they look like very long comic books, but don't be too quick to underestimate the writing skill of these authors. I encourage any student who doesn't like reading much, to try a graphic novel, or manga (Japanese graphic novels).
Movies are also a passion of mine. I love nothing more than going to see a newly release film or watching a good classic movie. When you can't find a great story to read in a book, you can always watch a great story!
*As much as I love movies, it is definitely important to learn to "Never judge a book by its movie!"
Lastly, I want my students and their families to know that I believe in embracing our differences. I hope that I can show my students that literature, art, and cultures from all over the world are wonderful in their differences, just as people are wonderful with each of our differences. I hope we never have a "color blind" world because it is our individuality that makes the world such a beautiful, creative, and free place to live, explore, and learn. Our uniqueness is what unites us, all together: our unique talents, our own special qualities, each distinctive personality, and our personal family traditions and ancestry . I hope we can learn from each others' gifts and experiences throughout this year.
Remember:
Yes, you are a unique snowflake... just like everybody else.
We are united by the common ground that we are each different.
