I have both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Secondary English Education at the College of William & Mary. I tell people I am from Roanoke, Virginia (because most people have heard of Virginia Tech, which is nearby), but I am really from an even smaller town called Troutville. Yes. That is 'trout' for the fish.

I come from a background of cornbread and venison, of lightening bugs and muddy toes, of crawdads and sweet tea. I come from the quiet shadow of the Appalachian Mountains and the deep hum of summer conversations on a back-porch swing. My people breathe stories, they spin and weave them between bites of licorice and sips of Mountain Dew. And it is perhaps for this reason that I have always loved reading and writing, and now, I love teaching those passions.

And as I am from a land with a distinct version of the English language (a dialect many would consider backwards and barbaric), I am very passionate about making sure my students understand the diversity of language. That each language comes in a variety of shades and types, all of which are acceptable and “grammatically” correct. I want to make sure my students understand that language changes, it grows and transforms to fit the culture it represents. And as each culture must be respected for its customs, each culture’s language must be appreciated as well. So, please stop by and see my presentation on teaching language variation in the English Language Arts classroom. I look forward to seeing you there.