Where It All Began
I remember it clearly. It was early in 1st grade and I came home from school so excited to announce that I was going to be a teacher when I grew up. I ADORED my 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Lee, and couldn’t think of anything I’d rather do than be just like her! And, crazy enough, with the exception of about 5 minutes when I thought maybe I’d rather be an interior designer, I never wavered from my dream of becoming a teacher.
My first grade school picture
After high school, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee to attend Vanderbilt University where I studied Elementary Education and Child Development. With every class I took, I became more confident that I had chosen the right path for my life. Once I graduated, I moved back to my hometown and began my career as a 3rd grade teacher.
Life as a Teacher
My years in the classroom were spent loving kids and their families! I viewed my job as their teacher as a partnership with their parents and I was certain we would be better together. In all my years teaching, the highlight, when I look back now, is to think of all the families who I still keep in touch with! They have truly changed my life for the better and I am so thankful I had a moment in time to speak into their children’s lives. To me, there is no greater honor in my life than to make a positive difference in the life of a child.
Where Am I Now
Fast forward several years and life looked a bit different than it did when I was 22 and decorating my first classroom! I had become a mom to 5 amazing kids, in a crazy-beautiful blended family and while I loved every minute of being an elementary school teacher, the pull to be more “Momma” was strong. At the end of my 18th year of teaching, I made the difficult decision to leave the classroom and come home full time! I was so excited to really focus my energy and attention on my own kiddos and be able to pour more of myself into them, instead of constantly feeling like my family was getting the leftovers after long, hard days at work.
Our family
A Teacher's Heart is Born
I love being home with my kids and getting to participate in all sorts of things at their schools that I missed out on when I was in my own classroom! But, about a year into being home, I realized my heart was being pulled back to teaching. During the spring of 2020, when schools across the country shut down, I felt so helpless. My closest friends were all educators, struggling to balance so many unknowns and stressors while keeping their students learning and engaged. I knew how challenging this all must be for them and I didn’t know how on earth I could be of any help. The more I thought and prayed about what I was supposed to do the more parents and teachers were pulling at my heart.
So, in the fall of 2020 I decided to take a huge leap in the world of entrepreneurship and start my own business…and with that, A Teacher’s Heart Consulting was born! My passion is teaching and learning. I love children and I believe they all deserve the very best opportunities for success. The shift in education to the virtual world helped me to realize that parents deserve the very best opportunities for success as well, but we often don’t provide them with resources to make that possible.
I am now serving homes and schools with the mission to equip parents and educators with resources and strategies to best support children in school and beyond. How does this look? One of the benefits (and challenges) to starting your own business is the freedom to change over time. Right now, I’m carrying out this mission by serving educators and parents in primarily one school district as I work to help the district create an even higher quality of family engagement. I also serve individual families, doing one-on-one coaching with parents in areas where they would like support. And, the truth is who couldn't use support from time to time?! I know there have been many seasons of parenting life where I’ve needed someone to come alongside and help guide me through challenging times, uncertain new situations, or even just to provide ideas that were different than my own. I want to be that person to others!
Thank You!
Thank you for taking a moment of your day to learn about my story and the birth of A Teacher’s Heart! My prayer is to continue to have the honor of being a positive difference in the life of children as I guide the adults who love them.
If you or someone you know would like support in becoming the best equipped parent or educator possible, reach out to me at athconsulting2020@gmail or visit my website.