Tools 4 NC Teachers

Hi -- Joanna Schimizzi (ska-meet-zee).

I am a Biology and Dance Education "expert" :) I taught Bio, AP Bio, Extended Bio, etc for years in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and now I teach for the OCS program as part of NC Virtual Public Schools.

I would love to collaborate more with folks interested in social emotional learning and culturally relevant pedagogy. I'd love to start remixing materials to be more culturally relevant and truly address the whole learner.

Hello everyone!  I am Jennifer Barnard.  I am a K-5 Mathematics Academic Facilitator where I specialize working with teachers to improve their math instruction.  If I could collaborate more with a specific set of educators it would be other math coaches and curriculum leaders like myself.  It would be very interesting to see how they support their teachers.

Hi! I'm Natasha Von Klingler. I'm a K-5 Instructional Coach and my expertise is in Elementary Education, mostly in ELA and Math. 

I would love to collaborate with more coaches and more 6th grade folks so I can better help with vertical alignment from 5th to 6th grade.

Good afternoon, 

My name is Yolanda Gooden-Labran. I am a Kindergarten teacher and an expert in teaching Early Childhood Reading :). 

It would be great to collaborate with more Early Childhood educators and/or anyone with experience in teaching Kindergarteners. 

My name is Kristy Marslender. I am the 5th grade Math teacher at Mattamuskeet Elementary School in Hyde County. I would love to collaborate with other 5th grade/upper elementary math teachers.

My name is Paula Baker. I am a former school psychologist working to revalidate my license and get back into the field. I currently work as a substitute receptionist at Mill Creek Middle School in Catawba County. 

I would love to collaborate with other school psychologists. 

Hi everyone - I'm Stacy Lovdahl, @braveneutrino, a middle school science teacher, an ITF (the "I" is the key word) and educator on loan to DPI's Digital Teaching and Learning division (talk to me about I-40).  I don't know if I claim to be an "expert" in anything, yet, but my current mission is to somehow help teachers with the alchemy of teaching - the art of knowing how to reach young people, the opportuinities presented by new and constantly evolving tools and the science of data and effect sizes. 

If I could collaborate with a specific set of educators around PBL and OER, I would connect with the private sector in rural communities and PBL experts in the state like STEM-west.org and NC Science House. 

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?

I'm Sara Miller, my content expertise is Elementary Reading.  I currently teach all subjects in 3rd grade.  

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?

I would love to collaborate with other 3rd grade teachers about all content areas, but especially Science and Social Studies.  My district provides a lot of curriculum support for ELA and Math, but very little in SS and Science.  

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?

My name is Melina Helton and this is my 32nd year in education.  I am a physical education teacher, coach and athletic director for East Alexander Middle School. I have a master's degree in physical education and also Nationally Board certified.  

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?

I would like to collaborate with more physical educators and hear about what their experiences are in their physical education setting in terms of number of students, demographics and types of lesson units. 

Jennifer Ross - Currently teaching 1st grade; experience in K, 1, 2 (along with 7/8 and HS Spanish) I was part of the math grant that helped create/vet materials for the Tools 4 NC Teachers platform.   Looking forward to collaborating with other primary teachers :)

My name is Jamie Dyas. I teach all subjects in the 5th grade.  I my data proves that I am great at exceeding growth expectations for students in the area of math.   I would like to colloborate more with reading teachers to help me develop stronger methods that would help me make a larger impact of growth on my reading kiddos. 

Hi everyone, I'm Lindsay Elks. I'm currently a 6-8 Math teacher at Ignite Innvation Academy in Greenville. I also wear the hat of the Technology Director for my school.

I would love to collaborate with more Middle School Math teachers since I'm the only one at my school. I'm looking to find resources and materials that can help me with remedial students that are fun, engaging and rigorous. 

i teach 8th grade math.

Hi everyone! I am Patricia Wells, a math coach for Wake County Public Schools at an elementary school in the eastern region of our county. I have a passion for math and science and love to learn!

I am currently trying to increase the use of culturally diverse materials as well as student discourse in the math classes throughout our building. I would love to collaborate with others who have a vision of creating materials that are applicable to all learner types and cultures.

Hi, my name is Kristin Kelly.  I'm a 4th grade teacher at Bradley Creek Elementary in New Hanover County.  I have a Masters degree in Leadership and an Educational Specialist degree in Curriculum/Instruction.  I currently teach all subjects, so being able to focus my time on implementation of my lessons and interpreting the data vs. actually finding the resources is going to be so helpful!

I'm really looking forward to digging into the Tools For NC Teachers lessons and tasks.  I use them regularly, but can't wait to see how other teachers remix the tasks to better meet the needs of our diverse populations and the standards themselves.  I'd love to collaborate with other teachers that have a passion for math and sharing resources that will better meet the needs of our students.

Hello!  I am Elizabeth Helms.  I go by my middle name...Cameron.  I am a 4th /5th grade literacy facilitator for Whitewater Academy in CMS.  

I would love to collaborate with other facilitators who serve title 1 schools.  We are making growth, but man of man, we struggle with stamina and some other issues on state testing.  I love our curriculum as is digs deeply into the standards.  However, we are clearly missing the mark and I would love to find ways to help or students think more authentically  in a way that translates onto the required EOG.  We do not teach to the test and we do not do an EOG blitz...but are there ways to prepare students for testing while maintaining quality instruction?

Hey Y'all :) 

My name is Shelbie Setzer. I am a second year teacher in Gaston County. I am responsible for all subject areas for my students since we are not compartmentalized at the K-2 level. This is my second year teaching and I am excited to grow my knowledge in this area. 

I would love to work with teachers who work in Title 1 schools. Currently I work in a school where 99% of the students live in poverty. I would love to see what and how these other teachers are dealing with the social- emotional needs as well as ingaging kids who have so much on there plate even before they get to school. 

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?

I am Angela MacLean, I have a masters in elementary education and I currently teach 3rd grade (all subjects) at a Title 1 school in Forsyth County.

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?

I would love to collaborate with top level teachers in NC to share rigorous math and reading resources. I love the Tools4Teachers resources and have been using them in my classroom. We have 7 teachers on our grade level and we struggle to find rigorous materials that will prepare our students for their futures.

Hello Everyone!

My name is Shannon Curry. I  have a strong elementary mathematics background. I have only taught fourth and fifth grade, but I have had the opportunities to help and assist teachers in K-12 as an instructional technology facilitator. I am currently serving as an elementary mathematics coordinator for my district. This is my second year in this role and I am excited to continue to learn and grow. 

If I could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, it would be other math coaches/coordinators to collaborate and grow together. I am excited for this opportunity! 

My name is Donna Stowe.   I am a veteran kindergarten teacher of 19 years.  I taught 5th grade last year and would love to do so again.  I currently teach a general education classroom of kindergarten studets in a rural NC community.

Currently, I can see a real need for collaboration with kindergarten teachers.  Kindergarten is a very specific animal in itself and I feel that kinder teachers could benefit from one another specifically.

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?

Hi! My name is Jessica Zinsmeister (it's a really fun last name to say!) I'm a middle school math content expert and currently working on becoming an expert in middle science! I am currently a curriculum facilitator and teach 1 class of Math 1.

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?

I would love to work with other middle school math and science teachers, as well as other curriculum facilitators.

I teach 8th grade math and Math 1/2 to 8th graders. 

Hi everyone!

My name is Breana Barrett, I am a Kindergarten Teacher in CMS. After being a substitute teacher for 2 years I decided I was ready to teach full time and I am now in my second year. Since I am at the beginning of my teaching career I look forward to collaborating with all of my education colleagues!

Hi, I'm Emma Stephens from Buncombe, NC. I have been teaching for 18 years-all in 2nd or 3rd grade. I tend to go back and forth frequently. At first I was annoyed, but now I love it. I get to see where the students came from and where they are going. I feel that background knowledge helps me be a better teacher.  This year I am in 3rd grade at a large school. 

I chose the MathTools4Teachers because I want to learn more about it and how to use it efficiently and effectively. I have browsed through it over the years and printed out something here or there, but I'm ready to dive into it.

I would love to have more insight into how to best reach my low and high students. I tend to focus more on the low stduents instead of high achievers. (I think a lot of us do. We know they need us.) And while I have plenty of materials for remediations, I'm not sure if it's the best. I often wonder the right progression. When I should just move on to the next standard.  I'm hopeful there are math intervention specialists or math curriculum coaches in the group. Or someone trained in Kathy Richardson or is a follower of Graham Fletcher or Greg Tang! (

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education? I am Takeima Ricks.  This is my 19th year as a kindergarten teacher. 

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be? I would like to collaborate with other kindergarten teachers across the state.

Hi! My name is Katelin Miller and I am a third grade teacher in Pitt County. I have experience in second and third grade. I have enjoying closing the gaps between the two grade levels in reading and math. I am a facilitating teacher for third, fourth, and fifth grade. I work with my community of practice team members to develop and implement strategies to improve overall math scores. My team and I specifically analyze data on OA.8 (solving one and two step word problems). 

I would love to collaborate with educators that have experience in math because I would like to brainstorm techniques and strategies that have proven to be effective. 

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?

Hello everyone, I'm Jennifer Ciano. After nearly a decade in 5th grade, teaching all subjects (though I feel 5th grade science is my expertise) I made the switch to 4th grade. I teach math, science and social studies (while incorporating content area reading).

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?

I would want to collaborate with educators who are knowledgeable to primary math instruction who can offer strategies to fill the educational gaps I am noticing with some my 4th graders. I'd also like to collaborate with individuals who are using high quality tasks/classwork in math centers to up student engagement and accountability in math. How are you making it work effectively? 

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?

Hello, my name is Nardi Routten.  5 months ago I moved from Florida to Craven County North Carolina.  Although this is my first year in North Carolina, this is my 21st year teaching.  I am currently teaching 3rd grade.  I served in many leadership roles in Florida and wish to continue this in North Carolina.  I received the Milken Educator Award in 2015, National Board in 2002 and am currently serving a four year term on the National Assessment Governing Board. 

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?  

I would love to collaborate with my third grade team first, then work with other grade levels at my school then with the district.

Hello everyone! I am Gianna Schmidt. I graduated from High Point University with both Bachelor's and Master's degree in Education. My Master's degree has a concentration in literacy. This is my second year teaching, both years have been in Kindergarten. 

Being new to education, I LOVE collaboration and new ideas. I would like to collaborate with teachers across the state through this platform, not only to share physical resources but to share ideas and "troubleshoot" as well. I am very excited!

Hi,

My name is Teresa Castellaw.  I'm an ITF with Burke County Schools and I work in 3 elementary schools.  I model, co-teach, and many other roles to help implement technology into the curriculum.  I have been in education for 21 years.  I would like to collaborate with primary teachers (K-2) to find engaging math resources that utilize technology tools.

My name is Louise. I live on Ocracoke Island, NC. I have been the only middle school math teacher at Ocracoke School for the past five years. I teach all 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students. In the past, I taught high school science (mostly biology and chemistry), was a TA for college biology labs, and a substitute for all grades/subjects P-K through 12. I am desperate for some real collaboration with other middle school math teachers as I am literally an island.

Hello my name is Sandra Dula.  I'm licensed in Health and Physical Education, but I'm currently working in Alexander County as the full-time Substitute Teacher for an elementary school.  I'm working toward becoming certified in Special Education.

Collaborating with other Special Education teachers and Elementary Teachers would be my area of  interest.  In my current role many times I've needed to come up with lessons because of a teacher emergencies.  I would also love to begin building a hub to refer to when I become a Special Education teacher.

Hi, My name is Pam Holmes. I have been a kindergarten teacher for 16 years.  I have experience in preschool as well as first and second grade but love my 5 year olds the best.  I feel (and have been told by math coaches and professors) that my expertise is early childhood mathematics. I would love to collaborte with educators on my grade level.

My name is Monica Griffin. I have been teaching since 1999. I have taught 5th grade and 4/5 math and science AIG inclusion class. I currently am a Multi-Classroom leader for my district working with 7-4th grade math classes. I would like to collaborate with other MCL's on this platform. 

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?

LaNita Potter.  I am certified to teach all core, EC, ESL, and I am a reading speciliast for grades preK-12.  I am currently teaching 6th grade history.  This is my 2nd year in North Carolina.  I moved in from Texas.

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?

Because my current content is social studies, I would like to collaborate with 6-8 social studies teachers.  My school seems to center more on ELA and Math; therefore, resources are thin for social studies.  

Hello Everyone!

I don't see my introduction, so I wil try this again. My name is Deborah Wiley-Ali. I am a third grade teacher in Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system.  I look forward to collarborating with 2-5 teachers as well as EC/TD teachers.

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?
My name is Katie Kuhn and I am currently a 4th grade teacher at an Elementary School in Durham. I have prior experience in 5th, 3rd, and 1st grade as well. I recently became AIG certified and this is my 10th year teaching.

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?
If I could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, I think that I would love to collaborate more with elementary school teachers (especially upper grades) who may be AIG certified, to help create and produce better resources for students who may need some enrichment opportunities.

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?

Stephanie Belk, K-5, Instructional Coach for Union County Public Schools

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?

I am on the UCPS math committee and would love to collaborate with other math specialists in districts throughout the state.  I'm very interested in learning about resources and strategies other districts use to challenge "high fliers."

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?

My name is Michael Triplett, and I taught English at the high school level for five years. Then, I started working with the gifted and talented population at the middle school level, teaching math and English for four years. Now, I am the coordinator for the gifted and talented program in my school district. 

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?

If I could collaborate with a specific set of educators, I would like to work with other specialists to find resources to help teachers differentiate better for students.  

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?

Hello! I am Jessica Balltzglier.  I taught first grade, all content areas (general Education), for 13 years.  This year is my first year teaching second grade content specific Math, Science and Social Studies.  

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?

I would love more collaboration with math teachers.  Math is my weakest but most interesting area.  I would love new ideas and strategies. I would also love connections with primary science teachers.  I love hands on learning and need more ideas.

Hello, my name is Brian Walker and I teach 5th grade in Greensboro.  I have been teaching for 22 years and I currently teach Math and Science.

I would love to collaborate with other math and science teachers and I look forward to learning and sharing new ideas.

My name is Sarah Barnes, I have my degree in Elem. Edu from HPU. I am a 5th grade teacher with Thomasville City Schools

I have taught K-1 for the past four years, so there is a definite learning curve. I am managing fine but would like more input from uppper elementary teachers. 

Hello,

My name is Hazel Lewis and I am a Digital Teaching & Learning Specialist for Edgecombe County Public Schools. I would love to collaborate with instructional facilitators(k-12) to address the topic  of integrating technology into the curriculum to promote student's communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking skills.

Martha Gensemer-Ramirez

ESL K-12, also licensed Elementary Education, 6-12 English & Social Studies

I am currently employed as the ESL Testing & Compliance Speciailist, but assist the district's ESL Director with professional development and serve as a resource for ESL teachers throughout the district, so I'm in a position to share and encourage the use of this resource once I become familiar with it and see how it can be helpful to my colleagues.

It would be helpful to be able to collaborate with ESL teachers across the state, especially with regard to resources for newcomers, for whom teachers are often searching for ideas and assistance.

1. Heather Boyette, currently teaching 4th grade.  Have taught 1st, 3rd, and technology.  13 years and counting.

2. This is my 3rd year teaching 4th grade.  Math has never been my strongest subject (even when I was a student) so any ideas/resources/collaboration I can get to strengthen my understanding of 4th grade is a plus for me.

Hi!

My name is Danielle Flores. I am currently a math and science instructional coach in Caswell County. I taught high school math for nine years, then moved to middle school for 3 years, and now I am a coach.  I LOVE my job! I also work as a NC Math Two teacher for NCVPS.  I would love to be able to collaborate with more coaches from around NC AND I would love to get some more resources for math intervention. 

I would love to collaborate with Math 2!

Hello everyone!  My name is Amanda Greene and I am a 7th grade math teacher in Columbus County.  Through the years I have taught 1st grade, 4th grade and 5th grade.  I also spent some time in Union County as an AIG specialist.  I love to see how the math stardards build upon one another and if I could collaborate more with other educators it would be other math specialists to see what current research I could implement in the classroom.  Currently we do not have a math specialist in our county.

Hello, My name is Barbara Heufel (Hi full), and I teach 3rd grade in a rural community in the mountains of NC.  I teach at Mountain View Elementary School in Jefferson, NC.  Even though I teach all subject areas, I feel that I am a strong math teacher.  I would  enjoy collaborating with elementary math teachers, math coaches, and curriculum experts.  I am also excited to have many resources in all subject areas available to assist my instruction.

Blaire Miller - I teach 7th grade math at Maiden Middle School, Catawba County.  I also sponsor a robotics team, video game club, the yearbook and MathCounts.  I am anxious to collaborate with anyone who has similar interests.

My name is Margaux , I teach 4th grade.

Hi!  Marsha Sirkin here in Carteret County!  I would like to collaborate with PreK-6 ITFs to bounce ideas and troubleshoot together. 

Sabrina Ferguson, 3rd Grade Math/Literacy, Teacher

TD teachers, Facilitators(Math/Literacy), 3rd/4th grade teachers. 

My name is Katharina Smith. I am a 5th grade teacher. I teach German Immersion, that means that my students learn all their NC objectives in German.

If I could collaborate with a specific set of educators, I would like to work with other 5th grade teachers, foreign language teachers, and ESL teachers. I would like to hear about their strategies for teaching math. I would also be interested in how they encourage language usage in math class.

Hi,

My name is Marquita Morris. My content expertise is math. I am an Accelerated Teacher in my district. This year I am content coaching 2 fifth grade teachers in math and providing intervention for students in 5th grade. 

My name is Claire Roehl, I have been teaching for 8 years. I taught 2nd grade for 5 years and am in my third year of teaching 3rd grade. I am in my 2nd year of team teaching math & science. I would love to collaborate specifically with 3rd grade math teachers.

My name is Jane Edmondson and I teach Math 1 and Math 3 Honors at Riverside High School in Williamston. This is my 22nd year in the classroom. I would like to collaborate with other secondary math teachers.

I teach Math 1 to 8th graders.

My name is Kristy Woody and I am an 8th Grade, Math 1 and Math 2 teacher. 

I would love to have a hub specifically for each level that I teach. It would be awesome to have one place to go for resources for each grade level instead of scrolling through countless websites.

Hi, my name is Karen Kimber.  I am an EC teacher K-3 grade for the past 6 years.

I would love to collaborate with other EC teachers that work with elementary school students.

Hi Karen! I'm also an EC teacher in Cabarrus County Schools. What school system are you with? 

Hi Jennifer!  I'm glad to see there is another EC teacher here!  I teach at a charter school in Durham called Healthy Start Academy.  What grades do you teach?

What is your name, content expertise, current role in education?

Hello, Mary Moore, I currently teach 2nd grade, I've taught 2nd grade, 4th Math, 5th Math & Science, 6th Math & Science, 7th Math, 8th Math & Science.

If you could collaborate more with a specific set of educators, especially via this platform who would it be?

Elementary Educators, especially with the grade I teach currently - 2nd

Hi! I'm Mellisa Smith and I'm a K-12 Assessment Specialist in my district. I am Gr 6-12 Math certified and I have taught middle and high school math for over 10 years. I would love to collaborate with other district level folks and work with providing support around assessments and instruction to teachers.

Hey guys, I am Brittany Hedgepeth and I currently teach 5th grade math and science in Franklin County Schools.  I paperwork says Im an expert in k-12 mathematics but I would limit myself to 4th and 5th grade.  

Hi!  My name is Elizabeth Goins.  I am an EC Teacher of the Adapted Curriculum in CMS.  I mostly teach grades 3-5.  I think this platform would be a great way to collaborate more with other educators who teach the Adapted Curriculum (NC Extended Content Standards).  Many schools do not have classes for students following the NC Extended Content Standards and if they do, there are typically only a small number of teachers within each school.  This platform will help educators collaborate with other educators across the state teaching the same thing.

Hi! My name is Jennifer Argiento. I am an EC teacher, and I'm starting my 13th year in special education, all in NC. This is my 1st year teaching in Cabarrus County Schools. I am the EC Lead teacher, so not only do I serve small groups and provide consultation services, I provide assistance to my EC staff at two different schools in the county-one elementary school and one middle school. I would love to be able to collaborate more with special education teachers. 

My name is Jeannette Parrish.  I have taught grades 3, 4, and 5.  I currently teach a self contained 5th grade class comprised of 14 EC students (5 of which are pulled out for Math and Reading instruction) and 7 non EC students.  I have been teaching for 20 years +.  If I could collaborate more with a group of educators I guess it would include grade level and EC teachers.  I really feel like I have to have a variety of levels of materials for every topic of instruction.  Sometimes it can be a handful.  This site is going to make my work much easier I believe.  I am looking forward to the collaboration.

My name is Christine Condon.  I am a high school EC Teacher and EC Dept. Chair working primarily with Inclusion Math at all levels.  

I think I missed this step along the way.  Jeannette Parrish - 5th grade EC inclusion teacher.  I have been teaching for 20 + years.  Love this program.

My name is Tamara Kerr Ray and I am a 5th grade math teacher in Johnston County Public schools.  My content expertise is k-5 math. 

If I could collaborate more I would definetely collaborate with 3-5 math teachers to specifically work on vertical alignment.