I teach 10th grade English and 10th grade Pre-AP English.
I joined the OHS faculty in 2019-2020.
Follow me on Twitter @EducatorCourson
Personal Background:
I was raised in Birmingham, AL, where I attended high school and college. My husband of 30+ years is a preacher and a missions strategist. We have three children, the youngest of whom is in high school. In my free time, I enjoy reading, listening to podcasts, and planting and taking care of flowers. I am also extremely involved in missions opportunities at church, and I lead several Bible study classes each year.
Professional Background:
A. Education:
* Master's degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Alabama
* Bachelor's degree in Secondary Education - English and Psychology - from Samford University
B. Further Professional Training:
* Pre-AP English / Laying the Foundation - from A+ College Ready
* ELEOT Certification (The Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool) from AdvancEd
C. Teaching Experience:
2019-present: Oxford High School - 10th grade - Oxford City Schools
2005-2019: Nichols-Lawson Middle School - 7th & 8th grades - Sylacauga City Schools
2004-2005: Vincent High School - 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th grades - Shelby County Schools
2001-2004: Crisp County Middle School - 8th grade · Crisp County Schools
1994-2000: Hillcrest Middle School - 8th grade · Tuscaloosa County Schools
1994: Carroll High School - 9th & 12th grade · Ozark City Schools
1992-1994: Enterprise High School - 10th-12th grade · Enterprise City Schools
D. Awards and Recognitions:
* Joseph B. Morton Excellence in Education - Educator of the Year for the District - Sylacauga City School System
* Jacksonville State University Teacher Hall of Fame nominee - Nichols-Lawson Middle School
* Joseph B. Morton Excellence in Education - Educator of the Year, NLMS
* Alabama Teacher of the Year for Secondary Schools - Tuscaloosa County School System
* Alabama Teacher of the Year nominee - Hillcrest Middle School, Tuscaloosa
* Jacksonville State University Teacher Hall of Fame District-wide Middle School nominee - Tuscaloosa County Schools
E. Highlights of Leadership Experience:
* ELEOT classroom observation certification - I have evaluated more than 50 classroom teachers during External Reviews for AdvancEd.
* Quality Points toward Graduation - I served on the district-wide Policies and Procedures Team that determined the number of quality points awarded for pre-AP, AP, honors, early college, and dual-enrollment classes.
* Educator Effectiveness - As a member of the Educator Effectiveness Cohort, I helped create the system-wide rubrics used for teacher evaluations.
* Curriculum - As Chairman of the ELA Department, I facilitated the ELA teachers in the development of their Pacing Guides and Common Assessments, and I purchased all the textbooks, workbooks, and digital resources used in the ELA Department. I also served on the district-wide Literacy Across the Curriculum Team.
* Equitable Technology Distribution - As Chairman of the Technology Committee for three years, I was responsible for keeping classroom technology inventoried and updated. I ordered all classroom technology.
* Safe & Civil Schools CHAMPS and Foundations Committees – My role on the Foundations Committee is to track discipline data, to create charts displaying the cumulative and vertical data, and to present the information to the faculty. My role on the CHAMPS Committee was to provide turn around training for the faculty, to serve as a model classroom for visitors, and to help revamp our school-wide discipline referral system and form.
* Community Service and Fundraising - I connected students, parents, and teachers to community stakeholders by arranging over 2,000 hours of volunteer service. We also raised over $30,000 for the American Cancer Society while I was Sponsor of the National Junior Honor Society.
* STIPD/PowerSchool - I created PD titles and managed the documentation of all Professional Development for the faculty. I stored all Sign-in sheets and Agendas for meetings, and awarded PD certificates to faculty members.
* ASSIST - I input the school-wide Technology Plan and the English Language Arts part of the school’s CIP.
* One-to-one Chromebook Initiative - As part of the district-wide Digital-by-Design Committee, I researched, planned, and helped implement the school system’s one-to-one Chromebook initiative.
* School-wide Committees not previously named on which I have served - Title I, Safety, Budget, and RTI
* Sponsored - High School Danceline Team, National Junior Honor Society
* Presenter of In-House Professional Development - I regularly present at faculty meetings and on PD days. I have covered topics such as Rigor in Literacy, Using CommonLit, Preparing for the NAEP, Making YouTube Playlists for Content Teachers, CHAMPS/Foundations Implementation, Using Schoology and Remind, Differentiated Instruction, Strategic Teaching, and A.V.I.D. Schoolwide.
* Professional Leadership Outside the School System -
-Assistant Lead Evaluator for AdvancEd External Review Teams (2014-2017)
-Recording Secretary for the Beta Theta chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa (2015-2017)
-Corresponding Secretary for the Gamma Sigma chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma (2016-2017)
-Lesson Plans published on the Alabama Learning Exchange (2013-2019).
