Who is Kristin?
Kristin is a skilled and experienced presenter who adds an enthusiastic energy to any learning environment. Students and participants alike benefit from her desire to learn and teach.
Having the dynamic Dr. Rita Pierson as a mother and a mentor afforded Kristin the confidence and ability to connect with an audience in a very special way.
Kristin’s Credentials
Degrees
- Master of Education in Administration, Sam Houston State University
- Early Childhood-4 Teaching Certification
- Generalist 4-8 Teaching Certification
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Spelman College
Work History
- Escamilla Intermediate, Aldine ISD
- Beneke Elementary, Spring ISD
- S.J. Williamson Elementary, Galena Park ISD
- Havard Elementary, Galena Park ISD
What are Kristin’s passions?
Teaching is a gift, a talent, an art form. Regardless of the subject, the art of passing on knowledge is an event worthy of celebration. After 12 years as an educator, Kristin still feels that euphoric high of enlightening a group of passionate (and not so passionate) learners.
Educating and working with families from poverty has been a driving force for Kristin since her career began in 2003. She has always found her home in challenging, urban public school districts, preferring to work specifically with students who are performing well below standards. With a focus on building relationships, connecting with parents and raising expectations, Kristin has become an undeniable asset as a primary/intermediate teacher and reading interventionist.
Kristin’s passion is service. That service has typically taken the form of working with children and the elderly in a variety of ways, mostly through education and volunteer work. She loves to teach and help people discover and apply new skills or strengths. She enjoys helping people along their journeys knowing that her service is a part of her own journey.
Kristin’s aha! moment
My first aha! moment came with my use of the Tucker Signing Strategies for Reading. I was a first-year rookie working with my first-grade students, and they began to decode words after the first day of using the strategy. Their excitement led to a desire to learn even more signs and decode words of increasing difficulty. What began as a room full of nonreaders quickly turned into students who could read on or above level with better spelling skills than their G/T counterparts and older students! The use of mental models for under-resourced students was a game changer for me in the classroom.
Kristin’s best training
My best training moments happen when participants start realizing just how valuable their relationships with their students really are. When I relay moments in my classroom career when students performed at their highest or give examples of how students can help make the classroom run smoothly, it is always a revelation that this happens as a result of strong, cultivated relationships of mutual respect instead of shouting, threatening, belittling, or punishing.
What does Kristin do for fun?
Spending time with my son and daughter is my idea of fun. We enjoy traveling and visiting museums together. Our local favorite is the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Indoor Nerf-gun battles are a regular occurrence on rainy afternoons. (They have gotten too big for hide and go seek.) When I am not hanging out with my kids, I love going to the library, exercising, and catching up with friends.