Welcome to TAG! I am excited to begin my fourth year as the UP TAG Specialist. My journey in HPISD began as a Bradfield Elementary Fourth Grade teacher, and prior to that experience I taught in Plano ISD in both fourth grade and fifth grade classrooms. Graduating from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor Degree in Human Development and Family Studies and a Master Degree in Elementary Education, I quickly fell in love with extending the learning of my TAG students in the regular education classroom through differentiation practices. I followed this passion to learn more about how to challenge my students every moment of the day through the SMU Gifted/Talented Endorsement Program. That passion has become my role at UP which is to seek to open up opportunities for a challenging learning environment every moment of every day.
This summer has been quite eventful as my family welcomed our new baby girl, Merritt. Her big brother, Charlie, is overjoyed with his new role and proudly parades his baby sister in and out of his school. My husband and I aren’t sleeping much yet, but we are filled with love and all the baby cuddles we can handle.
I am excited to start this school year and meet the many new faces of my school family. Every student holds a special place in my heart and I strive to make every child feel loved and supported in the TAG classroom. I believe this makes taking risks in learning and significant growth possible. I look forward to partnering with you to build a challenging yet supportive environment that invites your child to grasp at opportunities to make great strides in learning.
4th grade: Enigma
Students will create an investigative news report on enigmas from around the world. If you have experience in journalism or newscast production we would love to involve you in this special project. Please email me if you have a lead in this area.
Also, students will complete a mock trial to prove the existence of a popular enigma so if you have courtroom experience and would like to be a part of this exciting experience please email me so we can work together on plan for the upcoming mock trial.
4th grade Robotics
Students will design, build, and program robots in this unit. If you experience with coding or robotics, we would love to have your assistance with this unit. Please email me if you are interested in hearing more about this opportunity to get involved with this project.
3rd grade Toys and Games: Build a business
Students will investigate timeless toys and games of the past decades to discover how toys reflect the environment of each decade. Calling all parents and grandparents! If you have a childhood game that is now just a piece of history, we want to study it in class! Please email me to present as part of our toy panel.
Also, if you have experience or a connection in the world of advertising we would love a guest speaker or class mentor to guide our advertisement portion of making a business plan. Please email me to set up a guest speaker time.
3rd grade Healthy Heart
Students will investigate and examine the importance of maintaining a healthy heart. I am seeking experts in the field of medicine to help students explore that world of cardiac care. Please email me if you might have a lead for our class.
2nd grade Inventive Thinking:
Students will learn to distinguish the difference between discoveries, inventions, and innovations. Do you know an inventor that would be able to speak to our class? Please email me so that we can plan how we can incorporate real world knowledge into our unit.
