About Me

Teacher resource author. Educator. Imaginer of worlds. Seeker of truth laid bare. Lover of theater. Actor. Playwright. Animal lover. Biology geek. Unapologetic dancer.

I was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of seven rambunctious children. A bookworm from early childhood, I have a passion to share stories—that passion led me to research and write lessons that taught my inner-city students to read and comprehend. After graduating from Princeton University and spending years in the corporate world, I fled to the relative sanity of an urban classroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My experiences in those classrooms—and the stories I heard from my students—drove me to create Reading Through Theater.

As a teacher, I help my students immerse themselves in stories. As an actor, I bring the story alive for others. As a teacher resource writer, I do both: I go inside my lessons to try to understand what students need in order to access the learning; I also think about how to get them to see what I see, in terms of the foundational knowledge that enables critical thinking.

Creating educational resources that are effective for the most vulnerable learners is rewarding for me. I hope using them is rewarding to you. So, my teacher friends, please join me on a grand adventure.