One Page Bio

Who is Claire?

I am a high school English teacher, and I have taught grades 7–12 during my career. I am experienced in working with English language learners, students with learning disabilities, gifted/talented students, and students with executive functioning challenges.

I am proud of my public school K9–12 education. My teachers were committed to preparing me for college, and their belief in me was a huge factor in my success. I earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from East Texas Baptist University, and I had a winding road to becoming a teacher. When I graduated, my first job was in the office of aha! Process, where I read all of the books and absorbed what was going on in the field of education. Friends and family members often told me I should be a teacher, but I had resisted after growing up watching my mom grade papers so many evenings. When I was 30 years old, inspired by family and my work at aha! Process, I earned my certification through an alternative post-graduate program while I started teaching. I’ve been teaching for 14 years now, and I have taken graduate level classes in education and English literature as part of my ongoing learning.

Who is Claire’s family?

I am so proud of my grown daughter, who is in college studying biology. I also have to mention my mom, who spent her career teaching high school math. I watched her learn to be an effective classroom manager, and she modeled the balance of loving her family and caring about her students.

Claire’s “aha!” moment

There are so many aha! moments in education. I read the aha! Process books and knew the information before I became a teacher, so I had aha! moments when I would be in a situation as a teacher and realize I knew what to do. I remember the first time I talked to a student about taking what he could from his time in school so that he would be able to advocate for himself and not be taken advantage of, a concept I learned from listening to Ruby Payne and Rita Pierson’s stories. When I remember all the factors that play into student behaviors and that behaviors are about a student need that is not being met, that’s an aha! moment.

Claire’s passions

I am passionate about language. I love literature, rhetoric, and writing, and I love sharing this passion with my students. I am passionate about reaching, including, and challenging students who struggle to make school work for them.

I am passionate about personal growth, and I enjoy helping my students explore who they are and what they value through reading and writing.

I am passionate about singing, and I sing soprano in the Houston Masterworks Chorus.

What does Claire do for fun?

I enjoy visiting new places and having adventures with my best friend, especially scouting indie bookstores and finding good trails to hike. I also enjoy playing card and domino games with my friends and family. I love to read. My favorite genre is detective fiction, and I also enjoy nonfiction about psychology and learning (anything that helps me grow and work smarter). I enjoy good stories, so in addition to books, I love the current era of storytelling on TV. I am a theater fan, and I attend shows often, both at my high school to watch my students and friends on stage and in Houston for Broadway Across America shows.