For seven years, I taught middle school language arts. Half that time was spent in the greater D.C. area, the other half in south central Kentucky. I earned my National Board Certification in 2004. Then, after having my first child, I left teaching to be a stay-at-home mom.

In 2008, I was hired by a local university to teach pre-service teachers. This work gave me new passion for preparing and supporting educators. When I was in the classroom, I felt alone in my nerdiness. The teachers’ lounge was never a safe place for me emotionally or intellectually, and finding others to share my real thoughts and feelings with took a lot of work. I learned to stifle the urge to gush about some new strategy I was planning to try or to open up about a struggle I was having with my students. I came to expect that my genuine questions would be met with sarcasm.

With Cult of Pedagogy, I hope to create what I did not have myself: a vibrant, encouraging, stimulating community of teachers, supporting each other toward excellence. I believe if we can reach across the limits of geography and find each other, there’s no limit to the amazing things we can accomplish.

On the podcast, I interview educators, students, administrators and parents about the psychological and social dynamics of school, trade secrets, and other juicy things you’ll never learn in a textbook. Other episodes feature me on my own, offering advice on ways to make your teaching more effective and more fun.

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