Mrs O's Classroom

I am certified in both elementary education and secondary mathematics. Across my teaching career, I have taught all grade levels from 1st grade up through 12th grade, and I have done private tutoring for students ranging from Pre-K through college-level. I have taught in urban, suburban, and rural school districts, and at public, private, and charter schools.

I believe in teaching with material that really engages students at their level. If the material is interesting and relevant to them in the way it is presented, they will be better able to incorporate their new knowledge into their cognitive framework. Relevance is not a luxury in education - it is a necessity.

Recipient of the 2018 Funding the Future Education Grant

BA in Psychology, Oklahoma State University, 2003 ~ Traditional Teacher Certification Coursework, UMKC, 2008 ~ MS in Education (Curriculum Studies), Oklahoma State University, 2019

I have wanted to be a teacher since Mrs. Maciula was my teacher in 3rd grade. I occasionally wavered in this decision, thinking maybe I want to be *fill in the blank* instead, but I would always come back to wanting to be a teacher. When I started college and declared my major, I was in that wavering stage, thinking "maybe I want to be a psychologist..." So I graduated with a degree in psychology and started in a clinical psychology PhD program at what was then one of the top 10 clinical psychology PhD programs in the US. I had been selected to present my research from a first-year project at an international research conference in my field of study, and had a great research career ahead of me. Then, in my third year of the PhD program, I taught my first class. And I remembered why I chose to be a teacher in 3rd grade, and why I had always returned to wanting to be a teacher. So 3 years into a paid-for PhD program, I "changed my major" and went back to school to take my teacher education classes, do student teaching, and obtain a teaching certification. I have never looked back and never regretted it. I have taught elementary school, middle school, and high school; in public, private, and charter schools; and in urban, suburban, and rural districts. I completed my master's degree in education, with an emphasis in curriculum studies, in May of 2019. I currently teach high school math in Oklahoma City, OK.