NHS August & September Teachers of the Month

Hometown: Kingsville, Texas

Current Teaching Assignment: Algebra 1 & Algebraic Reasoning

How long have you been teaching?

This is my 4th year teaching.

How long have you been at Navasota High School?

This is my 4th year at NHS

Who or what inspired you to be a teacher?

Both of my parents are educators. Their dedication to their students over the years, inspired me to become an educator. You could say that it is the “family business” for us.

Have you ever thought about a different career? If so what?

I have wanted to be an educator for most of my life. There were about 2 years at the end of high school where I wanted to be an engineer. When I went to college I switched back to math and got on a path to become a teacher.

What is the best part about your job?

The best part of my job is seeing the “lightbulb” turn on for my students. A lot of students tend to struggle in math and so it is awesome for me when they start to make connections and understand what I am teaching.

Do you have any heroes?

My heroes are the teachers that taught me and helped to shape me into the educator that I am. I definitely would not be where I am without them.

Do you feel that you have had an impact on the students that you’ve taught? If so in what way?

I definitely hope that I have had an impact on the students that I have taught. It is great when they come back from year to year to let me know that they remember what they learned in my class and let me know how their current classes are going.

Current Teaching Assignment: Navasota HS Diamonettes/Navasota JH Fang Dancers/Navasota HS dance classes

How long have you been teaching? I have been teaching dance for 19 years, 10 years as a private studio director, and this is my 9th year in Navasota ISD.

How long have you been at Navasota High School?

9 years

Who or what inspired you to be a teacher?

My high school dance team director Rebecca Crackel was my inspiration for teaching dance. She had extremely high expectations of her dancers and was always consistent in everything she did. I have continually admired her for her dedication to her students.

Have you ever thought about a different career? If so what? Nope. Teaching is who I am.

What is the best part about your job?

Leggings...lol! In all honesty, I love watching how hard my girls work and then seeing their face when they know they succeeded. The girls give 110% for each performance and will try anything that I throw at them. There’s no better feeling than rocking a halftime routine!

Do you have any heroes?

Absolutely! My favorite is my husband and partner in crime. He is the reason that I get to continue to do what I love and sacrifices daily to help me schedule our life around Diamonettes.

Do you feel that you have had an impact on the students that you’ve taught?

If so in what way? I hope so. I have had several students move on to dance at the collegiate level and some are current educators with their own dance teams. Whether they move on to dance or not, my goal is that the lessons they have learned about hard work, being dependable, and being courageous will help shape them in whatever they decide to do.