Hey, I'm Lauren!

I help elementary teachers streamline their phonics and reading instruction by giving them all of the information and resources they need to maximize every reading lesson and raise their students reading levels once and for all.

Because I struggled to learn how to read as a child, I'm phonics-obsessed and love seeing the "reading lightbulb" go off in my students' eyes!

I've previously taught K-6 intervention, Kindergarten ESL, K-3 reading intervention and first grade in Southern California.

When I started my first job teaching K-6 intervention, I was literally given an old, rundown trailer as a classroom. It was empty, as in, no resources inside. They pulled some desks and chairs out of a storage pod and said, "Ok, teach!" ?

I realized that I had zero curriculum and zero books. I had just gotten married, and I knew I couldn't afford going to the teacher supply store and spend $30 on a workbook. Especially since one workbook wasn't going to span seven grade levels! ?

Luckily, I had a lot of practice creating resources on the computer. My mom was a Kindergarten teacher my whole life, and I spent my summers asking her what I could make for classroom. (I happily created everything Microsoft Publisher, no less!) It's a little strange, I know. But hey, God has used what I used to consider weird quirks and turned them into something awesome!

I also love reading educational research. I combined best practices with resource creation and spent all of my nights and weekends making the resources that I needed for every objective and lesson I was asked to cover in intervention.

When teachers would ask me where I got my resources, I would be somewhat embarrassed to tell them that I made them myself. ?

One day, my mom discovered Teachers Pay Teachers. She encouraged me to post all of the resources I had been making on the site . I didn't think that anyone would want them, but my husband convinced me to try anyway. The rest is pretty much history. 

Speaking of history, I did all of my teacher-schooling at California Baptist University. #GoLancers

I have a bachelor's degree, Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential and a master's degree in educational technology with a focus in instructional computer applications. (EEEEkkk, my nerdy side is showing again! ?)

In 2016, my husband and I made the difficult decision that I would stop teaching full time to pursue infertility treatments. I miss teaching like crazy ?, but I volunteer in the classroom and I stay connected with this amazing online teacher community. 

Taking the time off has been totally worth it, as I finally gave birth to our daughter, Leightyn, in 2019!

We recently left sunny SoCal to plant our family roots in my mom's home state of Tennessee!

So far we are thoroughly enjoying exploring our new state.

When my husband is at work and my daughter is asleep, you can find me working away in my home office! I absolutely love what I do!

Be sure to check out my favorite blog post on how learning to read it like learning to drive - I promise it will change the way you teach phonics and reading!

Stay teachable,

Lauren