‘So Much to Say: the abridged (!) biography of a Jersey Girl

William Butler Yeats said that, "Education is Not the Filling of a Pail, but the Lighting of a Fire" For me, it captures what lies at the heart of who I am as a wife, mom, sister, friend and teacher... passion and fire.

I went to college in NJ where I majored in marketing (and socializing!). I should have known when I was ignoring my accounting homework to help create ‘learning centers’ for my ed major friends, that maybe the business world wasn’t exactly going to be my passion in life, but hey, it was the 80’s and women were breaking the glass ceiling and all that, so I majored in what I thought would be a ‘lucrative’ field!
While in college, I met my husband who at the time was a senior at the Naval Academy.
What is it about men in uniform? I was smitten! We've been married 26 years. We have 2 children, born at opposite ends of the country...courtesy of the US Navy.
When my older son was in kindergarten, I was the ultimate school volunteer. I helped in his classroom, with the lunch program and ran the fund raising for the school. My son's kindergarten teacher watched me one day as I worked with some kids engaged in a literacy learning game. She said to me, “You should be doing this.” I responded, “Yeah, I know.” The fire was finally lit...

I pursued my Masters in Education in Norfolk, Virginia when we were stationed there. When my husband retired from the Navy, we moved back to NJ(imagine that!) and bought a house in my old ‘hood’. After some time in private school and preschool, I found my dream job in a district that fit perfectly with my philosophy of education- that I want to foster a classroom where kids are engaged in their work, are excited about what they are doing, learn from each other and talk with enthusiasm about their discoveries. I’m passionate about what we do as professional educators and love sharing that enthusiasm. I’ve mentored student teachers and new colleagues and have taught a graduate class in early childhood language and literacy.

In my spare time, I love gardening, painting, and cooking. My yard is kind of an over-grown perennial mess- weeding is my life. I love any days I can spend at the beach. We love the Yankees, going to sporting events and concerts. (My favorite? Springsteen!! I told you I’m a Jersey Girl!!)

I'm a life-long learner. Whether in the classroom, laughing with my family, pondering politics and current events, discussing the latest best-seller...I'm passionate. I live my life with a need to try new things and to learn something new everyday.

What is it that lights your fire? I look forward to continuing this journey with you and to learning together.

:) Cza