The field of education is exciting and rewarding, and I am honored to be a part of it. I received my degree in 1993, and taught for one year before deciding to start my family. I became a busy stay at home mom, and even homeschooled my children. When they were of high school age, I decided to explore returning to teaching by becoming a substitute teacher for public and charter schools. This was definitely an adventurous career. Handling a variety of classroom scenarios with dozens of teachers required flexibility, and strengthened my classroom management skills. Eventually, I was offered a position administering DIBELS reading assessments for Kea'au Elementary. This was a wonderful opportunity to hone in on the importance of reading fluency. When my youngest children entered college, I decided to return to school to obtain my Master's Degree. I chose to focus on Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Differentiation. Students enter the classroom with many different life and school experiences, so I believe that we need to address our students as individuals, and be responisive to their individual educational needs. I prefer a student centered approach to education, one that builds upon students' strengths and supports their weaknesses. I aim to create a supportive and engaging learning environment that encourages all students to achieve and thrive.