English Coordinator

Michelle joined LTF as a National Trainer in 2010 and now serves the organization in a full-time capacity. A fellow teacher introduced LTF to Michelle, who immediately signed up for training after seeing the rigorous instructional materials LTF produced. She remembers, “When I brought LTF lessons back to my classroom, the students’ increased level of engagement was palpable. I loved the buzz of activity in the room—you actually could hear the kids thinking.” Michelle attributes this engagement to the increased rigor of the lessons. She says, “When my students began working with LTF-style lessons, they knew we had raised the bar. I was gratified to see all my students—honors and on-level kids alike—rise to meet these intellectual challenges.”

Of her various responsibilities at LTF, Michelle cites working with bright, enthusiastic teachers as her favorite aspect of her job. Saying that LTF represents “the best professional development experience of my career,” Michelle appreciates the opportunity LTF gives her to have a wider impact on student achievement. “We enter our profession because we want to make a difference in the lives of children. LTF has allowed me to exchange ideas and strategies with teachers from across the country concerning how to help students best meet twenty-first century challenges”

Michelle holds a BS in Journalism and an MA in English, with a specialization in Medieval and Renaissance Literature. During her eighteen years of classroom and administrative experience, Michelle spent eight years at the university level teaching both composition and upper-level literature courses. She has taught a variety of AP courses, including AP Literature, AP Language, and Pre-AP English. In addition to earning several research and grant awards, Michelle has received the Kansas City Star’s Excellence in Teaching award, and in 2004 she was a co-winner of the National History Day Our Documents Teacher Lesson Competition. Michelle also has coached U.I.L. Spelling and Vocabulary teams and Congressional Debate teams, all of which have competed at the regional and state levels.