I’m always excited as a new school year approaches. It’s the time of year when all the pencils are sharp and none of the crayons are broken and I’m filled with a sense of hope and possibility. It’s an annual “do-over.”

I’ve been an elementary teacher for 25 years in New Jersey, Illinois, and Massachusetts. During that time I’ve taught many diverse students in urban, suburban, and rural schools.

I graduated from George Washington University with a BA in Political Science and a MAT in elementary education. In 2007 I entered an administrative licensure program and am now licensed in Massachusetts as both a teacher and a principal.

Since 2005 I’ve worked for eScholastic here on www.scholastic.com. In 2005-2006 I served as an online mentor teacher and developed five units of study.

Since 2006 I’ve been moderator of Scholastic’s Teacher Helpline, originally a message board and now a group. Teachers write with their questions and problems and I respond with specific, personal answers, usually within 24 hours. By 2008 the Helpline archive had so many posts with certain repeatedly asked questions that I selected 130 questions and answers and rewrote them in a book. My book, 130 FAQs and Practical Answers from Scholastic’s Teacher Helpline, was published in 2009.

In the recent past I accepted a position as Director of Curriculum and Assessment for Mohawk Trail Regional School District in Shelburne Falls, MA. In this job I visit teachers in six elementary schools and one middle school. As I travel to these schools I have learned new techniques and strategies that I am pleased to pass on to Top Teaching readers. I’m excited about continuing my work on Teacher Helpline as well as working alongside so many talented, creative colleagues here on Top Teaching.

Best wishes to you for a wonderful school year!