Welcome to speech and debate at Olle Middle School—where we train leaders and create purposeful performances.
I have taught at Olle Middle School since 1993, and I have coached speech and debate since 2000. Currently, I am the department chair for electives at Olle Middle School and Alief ISD’s lead teacher for middle school speech and debate. Within Alief, I serve on the District Educational Improvement Council. On the state level, I am a proud member of the Texas Speech Communication Association where I currently serve as Chair for the Middle School Instructional Development Interest Group. On the national level, I serve on the National Speech and Debate Association's Competition Rules Leadership Committee.
Because of my students’ outstanding work, I have received the following honors: Alief ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year—1998, Texas Speech Communication Association Middle School Educator of the Year—2012, and National Speech and Debate Association Two-Diamond Coach
The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, but that freedom is useless if we are not trained and prepared to use it. In my speech classes, I help students overcome their fear of public speaking so they can fully participate in school, in their eventual careers, and in our democracy.
Degrees and Certifications:
Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Texas at Austin
Speech (8-12)
Theatre (EC-12)
Secondary English (6-12)
Journalism (8-12)
English as a Second Language Supplemental (EC-12)