I became a teacher by default. As a child I always believed I would grow up to become a fashion designing lawyer. Instead, teaching hijacked my life. While I may have been open to the idea of a brief visit, I never formally invited it to stay.

Two degrees and twenty years of experience later it has become my trade. I blame my unconventional style and unorthodox view of education, teaching, learning and life on my parents. Traditional was a foreign word in our household. We were encouraged to forge our own paths.

In a world as traditional as education where most teachers choose a subject, grade level, and school district to hold fast to, I found myself floating nomadically....much like a gypsy. When I think of gypsies I think of creativity, movement, and fire. Creative in their presentation, they move through life with a fire of passion burning within, illuminating their path. Sounds kinda cosmic hunh? ;-)

I liken my professional career to that of a dance. It has been fluid, but sometimes choppy and always swaying to the rhthym of my soul.

After leaving the classroom I spent time homeschooling my own child and exploring education from the other side of the window as a parent...(click the link for some very entertaining blog posts from that era, lol). Almost simultaneously, I found myself diving into the world of online learning. Working first as a remote sales professional, then trainer for a Learning Management System.

In the last few years I have transitioned into the role of an independent Education Technology consultant. I have assisted global companies and non-profit organizations with their on-boarding, coaching, and training. My sweet spots are curriculum and course design, online teaching and coaching, and LMS management.

Oh! and while all that was going on I started a natural beauty product company, Carter & Clarke, that creates skin butters to relieve the symptoms and scarring of various skin conditions. The mission of our company is to educate people about healthy skin care practices and provide them with a product that is naturally healing....to say that I've been busy is an understatement.

Recently, I had an epiphany. It dawned on me that although teaching and learning is often placed in a box, all boxes have lids that can be fastened....or removed. My newest endeavor, Smart Chalk, is my next step in removing the lid from my box. I hope what spills out sparks creativity, movement and fire in others.....let's learn!