My Story

I am a teacher, author, and general troublemaker in the best way possible—especially when it comes to shaking up traditional literacy instruction. For 15 years I taught elementary and middle school in the United States and now finds myself wrangling 1st and 2nd graders in Denmark, where I work hard to cocreate classrooms that are safe, joyful, and occasionally even calm.

Since founding The Global Read Aloud in 2010, I have helped connect millions of students across 85 countries through shared reading experiences. What started as a simple idea—one book to connect the world—has somehow taken on a life of its own, proving that kids, books, and a bit of internet magic can make incredible things happen.

My dedication to student-centered learning and inclusive education has earned me a few shiny awards, including the 2022 WCTE Award for Diversity and Inclusion, the 2015 ISTE Award for Innovation in Global Collaboration, and the 2015 WEMTA Making IT Happen Award. But let’s be honest, the best moments are when a kid who “hates reading” suddenly refuses to put a book down.

I am am the author of several books, including “Passionate Learners: How to Engage and Empower Your Students,” “Passionate Readers: The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child,” “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students,” and “Reimagining Literacy Through Global Collaboration.” My work has also been featured in many print and online journals including Edutopia, The New York Times, School Library Journal, The Guardian, and MiddleWeb.Through my writing, I try to  share practical strategies for others who want to create student-centered, choice-driven classrooms where reading and learning feel meaningful and personal.

I am also a proud member of The Author Village, a collective of authors and educators dedicated to inspiring young readers and supporting teachers. Whether through school visits, workshops, or professional development, I work to ensure that school is engaging, relevant, and accessible for all kids.

I speak, write, and work with educators worldwide, always aiming to make the experience of school more meaningful, engaging, and just a little more fun (because no one learns well when they’re bored out of their minds).

My blog, the page that you are on right now – welcome – has been a space for reflection and advocacy since 2010, sparking conversations on literacy, student agency, and why education should never be about compliance. It’s also where I occasionally rant about things that keep me up at night—like why standardized tests still exist, and how it feels to move home to something that hasn’t been home for 24 years.

At the heart of my work is a simple belief: every child deserves to feel like they belong, and every child deserves an education that honors who they are and who they can become. Whether in my own classroom or working with educators worldwide, I remain committed to creating learning spaces that center on student identity, choice, and joy. And if I can make you laugh while doing it? Even better.

Our Classroom:

Diving into our identity and how our identity moves us to experience the world is at the center of all of the work we do.  This means that we embed choice, reflection, and personal goals all throughout our time together.  Developing our reading and writing identity is at the core at what we do and so is seeing the humanity of each other and respecting each other’s journeys.

Our year together is based around a few big ideas:

• In order for children to learn best, they have the right to feel safe, accepted, and valued in our learning community.

• Children grow more as learners and as human beings when they have choice in their learning, especially within their reading and writing, but also in how they navigate our learning experiences.

• Our identity plays a huge part in our perspective of others and the world, so in order to better understand the world, we need to understand ourselves and why we think the way we do.

• Technology can help connect us to others, share our voices, and also create change in the world.

• Learning should be engaging, appropriately challenging, and accessible for all kids.

• In order to be a better teacher, I need to invest in meaningful professional development, student feedback, home communication, and self-reflection in order to grow.

 My journey would not be as phenomenal if it wasn’t for the incredible students I get to teach every day.

To get a sneak peek into our classroom and the work we do, watch this video.

Of course these opinions, musings, rants and reflections do not express the opinion of my employer. One would be crazy to think that one single teacher could be the mouth piece for an entire district. Nor are my posts meant to offend mostly, nor mislead but rather provide a snapshot of my mind at a certain point in time on a topic. So please feel free to disagree, agree, compliment or discourage further blogging but promise to not think this is in any way an official mode of communication for my employer. These are my opinions and while I stand behind them right now they may change so while you are at it, don’t hold that against me either.

Endorsements and Sponsorship:

I am not endorsed nor in a sponsorship with anyone.  While publishers will send me books in order to consider them for the Global Read Aloud, I am not paid for this, nor will I ever sell my opinion.  Any books I recommend on here on elsewhere are books that I love. I am, however, a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  That is why I will often link the books I recommend.