Hey-o! Thanks for stopping by this little corner of the internet to meet the author behind Big Ideas Educator.
I’m a certified teacher (grades K-12) and a reading instructional coach in an urban, Title 1 elementary school.
I don’t know about the instructional coach at your school, but here’s how I spend much of my time at school:
- Daily lunch, recess, arrival, and dismissal duty
- Participating in amazing conversations in PLCs
- Very Occasionally covering or subbing
- Data analysis with teachers
- Lesson planning with teachers who are new to their grade level or content area
- Weekly observation, encouragement and ideas for all reading teachers
- Modeling and co-teaching different strategies when teachers feel nervous to experiment alone
- Escorting kids around the building, enjoying hallway chats with teacher besties, and eating queso with our amazing principals.

Why I Love Public Education (STILL)

My career in education began with a two year stint with Teach For America in Houston, where I taught 7th grade writing at the ripe age of 21. I was totally overwhelmed and unprepared for the intensity of inner-city teaching, but it sparked a love for the field of education.
After that, I got a master’s in education policy, organization, and leadership studies (POLS) from the Stanford University School of Education. I thought I wanted to work in a district office in curriculum planning or leadership at the time.
I got a few more years of teaching and intervention experience at an elementary school, and have now discovered a passion for instructional coaching. I’m a big believer in flexible seating (for those who are interested and ready) and incentives-based behavior management for struggling classrooms who need the extra behavior support. I’ve never been afraid of a data dig, no matter how disappointing the results might be. Sometimes ya gotta suck it up, buttercup, wipe the tears from your cheeks, and work smarter. But first – there’s no shame in a good cry and a fresh, outside perspective!
Looking for Guest Posting Opportunities?
Are you looking for opportunities to write a guest post? I am accepting submissions now. I do not pay for content.
Here are the criteria:
- Content must be about teaching and learning with kids, whether at home or in the public school setting.
- You must write the content with teachers in mind.
- Content must be at least 1500 words and able to be optimized for SEO.
- All work must be original and not posted elsewhere online.
- You may include 2 links to your website.
- I reserve the right to make edits.
If you’re interested, please contact me using the form below with your pitch. I’d love to consider it!