ABOUT ME

Well, hey y'all! I'm so thankful that you stopped in to learn a little bit more about me and the work that I do. First things first...I am married to my junior high sweetheart, have three beautiful children, and I enjoy spending time on long walks and at the baseball field. But, in addition to all of that, I absolutely love connecting and sharing with educators anywhere at anytime.

Below are my core beliefs. These are the big ideas that I base my work on and try to remember in every conversation that I have. If my core beliefs resonate with you or even challenge your thinking, let's connect!

BELIEF #1

I believe every learner deserves the opportunity to experience new learning...every single day.

BELIEF #2

I believe every learner deserves the opportunity to learn from productive struggle.

BELIEF #3

I believe every learner deserves the opportunity to learn by doing.

BELIEF #4

I believe every learner deserves the opportunity to share their work beyond the walls of the classroom.

BELIEF #5

I believe every learner deserves an opportunity to pursue their passion and purpose during the school day.

I'M ANDI

Thanks so much for visiting this page...allow me to introduce myself. To be honest, I think most of my friends and family would describe me as a bit of a mess. I am a passionate educator, author, and speaker that believes in today's generation of learners. I believe in standing up for what is best for both learners and educators and enjoy spending time advocating for sustainable change in education. I am a mom to three amazing kids, wife to my junior high (yes, you read that correctly) sweetheart, and I'm always looking for and usually finding...meaning in my mess.

MY STORY

I taught in the classroom for 16 years, teaching grades 4-5 (general education) before moving into a position in which I served gifted learners. It was in this position that I found my passion and realized how badly this group of learners needed educators that understood them and would advocate for what they need and the deserve from their school experience.

I quickly shifted from being a traditional teacher to an innovative educator after learning about a classroom strategy known as Genius Hour. It changed everything for me and my learners and now I spend my time sharing my story and my experience with educators all over the world.

The Official Bio...

Andi is currently the Digital Innovation Specialist at ESC Region 12 in Waco, Texas. Before working at the center, she taught elementary and gifted/talented students at a small rural school in Texas. Andi was in the classroom for a total of 16 years before pursuing her passion to change education by giving educators practical ways to create experiences that will engage and empower this generation of learners.

Andi has spoken at many conferences, education service centers, and worked with many school districts to provide innovative learning experiences for their students. She was named one of the Top People in Education to Watch in 2016 by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences. Andi recently wrote Genius Hour: Passion Projects that Ignite Innovation and Student Inquiry, A Meaningful Mess: A Teacher's Guide to Student-Driven Classrooms, Authentic Learning, Student Empowerment, and Keeping It All Together Without Losing Your Mind, and Ready-to-Use Resources for Genius Hour in the Classroom: Taking Passion Projects to the Next Level. She absolutely loves sharing her passion for innovative education with other teachers that want more for their students.

As an educator, Andi was passionate about using meaningful technology in her own classroom and finding innovative ways to empower her learners. She believes that the students that we are educating today are unique and we must be creative in designing experiences that will engage and empower them as learners.