Number of years teaching
9

Name(s) of media you advise
Bear Facts (newspaper), Bear Tracks (yearbook)

School Name & City
Alief Hastings High School, Houston

Most unusual item in/on your desk?
Probably all the nerdy stuff, like Pop! figures from various TV shows.

Favorite deadline snack?
Anything caffeinated. Coffee, chocolate-covered espresso beans, canned Starbucks Refreshers, Coke Zero. I even had a stash of caffeinated gummy bears one year.

Nicknames your students have given you?
Mom (they call me this on purpose, not accidentally)

Superpower you’d want as a teacher?
Super speed. Mostly so I could get more stuff done.

Personal catchphrase or motto?
“Has anyone seen where I put my keys?”

What is the reason you love teaching journalism?
It’s different every year! Trends change, current events can turn into a class discussion, and conferences/workshops give me new project ideas. Plus one of the perks of having multiple preps is that almost every period is something different.

What is the most important lesson a student has ever taught you?
That the slightest gesture — one that doesn’t seem like a big deal to you — can mean the world to them.

What is the most important element to a successful program?
Students having ownership of what they produce in the class, both individually and as a staff. One of the things I love about yearbook and newspaper is the students actually have something tangible to show for the ideas they shared, the decisions they made and all the work they did.