Learning Engaged

This is me! 🙂

My life is composed of multiple elements.  I believe that trusting God unconditionally, as well as finding a way to balance life’s have to’s with life’s want to’s, is the secret to happiness. 

I am a mindset expert, writing consultant, and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management at Texas A&M University. My doctoral degree is in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on literacy education.

My research focuses on mindset development for increased mental health in the sport industry. I am also interested in understanding the mental health support sport employees expect and experience at all levels of employment and sport sectors.

I partner with Texas A&M University’s Center for Teaching Excellence, focusing on mindset development, managing conflict, graduate writing support, and enhancing teaching and learning. This work includes curriculum redesign efforts (Sport Management and other programs), delivery of teaching and learning-based professional development programming for faculty, and graduate-level writing studios to develop strong writing habits and increase writing and publishing productivity.

This blog, Learning Engaged, was formed with the core understanding that lifelong learner is vital for a healthy and happy life.  When you stop learning, your brain stops developing, and you can feel that something is missing in your life.  This may be formal types of learning (e.g., schooling), or just finding ways to be more fulfilled in your life.

Learning engaged is being engaged as a learner, being engaged in learning, and learning from what engages you.  Learning is exciting and valuable.

Before having our daughter, my husband and I were actively involved in a regional race group (as a hobby) called Nasa Texas. While we do not have the time we used to and have temporarily left the racing circuit, I still believe racing serves as a model to base life lessons on.  I have found that the events of my life all seem to center around the concept of racing (getting ahead, deciding the best path to take, problem solving, never giving up, surrounding yourself with strong people to build you up and teach you, and learning from your mistakes so that you become a better person in the end).   Being engaged in learning helps you attain all aspects you wish to achieve.

This blog is designed around the racing model.  From teaching tips (I spend 14 years in K-12 education as a classroom teacher and administrator), to support as an academic (there is more to grad school than coursework) to cooking recipes (I am obsessed with Food Network), to random adventures that inspire my learning, to any other information I think could help others, I know I can share what I have learned and will hopefully entertain you some in the process.  So, sit back…grab a snack…and enjoy the events of my life that keep me engaged as a learner.