After graduating from The George Washington University, I moved to Manhattan and worked in public relations. However, my passion for teaching led me to obtain an M.S.Ed. in Childhood Education from Hunter College. I taught fifth grade at P.S. 171 in East Harlem, NY, and fourth grade at The Learning Community in Central Falls, RI. In addition, I became a certified literacy specialist after obtaining a second master's degree in Literacy Education from Columbia University's Teachers College. Since 2009, I have worked as a literacy consultant with public and private schools nationwide while teaching graduate writing courses at Lesley University and Penn State - Harrisburg. 

I am the Chief of Operations and Lead Writer at Two Writing Teachers, a site dedicated to teaching writing. I co-host the Two Writing Teachers Podcast. 

I am the author of Craft Moves: Lesson Sets for Teaching Writing with Mentor Texts and the co-author of Welcome to Writing Workshop: Engaging Today's Students with a Model That Works, Day by Day: Refining Writing Workshop Through 180 Days of Reflective Practice, and Jump Into Writing. While my first few books were for teachers, my next book is written for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities and chronic medical conditions. Make the School System Work for Your Child with Disabilities: Empowering Kids for the Future will be published in January 2026.

I present at local, state, and national conferences. I have served on the editorial review board for The Language and Literacy Spectrum, the New York State Reading Association's Journal. My professional memberships include NCTE, SCBWI, and The Authors Guild. I am a Kappa Delta Pi Teacher of Honor. In addition, I served as the vice president of the Silver Academy board of directors from 2015 to 2019. Before that, I was a member-at-large on Silver Academy's Board of Directors from 2009 to 2015.

I live with my family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I enjoy swimming, Pilates, reading, and cooking.