Secondary Teacher
Ouachita Parish High School, 1998
Louisiana College 1998-2000
Louisiana Tech University, 2003
University of Louisiana at Monroe, 2009 & 2014
Bachelor’s & Master’s Degrees
Master’s +30 (21 Spanish Graduate Hours)
Certifications: Pk-3, 1-5, ELA 6-12, Spanish K-12, Spanish DE
Started at SHS 2014
Currently teaching: Spanish 1,2 Speech 1,2 English 1,3
Teaching since 2004
Previous Positions: River Oaks (4-5th grade ELA), PVA-Bastrop (8-12th English, Spanish 1-2), Madison James Foster (1st grade), Neville High School (9-12th Spanish 2, DE)
Led student trip to Spain w/Neville (2011)
Sponsor of the National Hispanic Honor Society
Sponsor of the Multicultural Society
I am married to Damon McLeland-my very understanding and supportive husband of 19 years who graduated from SHS. My husband is very tech savvy. He is always buying me a new gadget that makes my life easier. He is also our designated summer trip planner and driver. (He has driven us thousands of miles to give the kids and me some of the most memorable experiences. I will always treasure him for that.) We have two kids: my son, Jacob-who is a hardworking senior at ULM studying History and my very witty daughter, Brynn-who will be starting at LA TECH in the fall. We have 2 dogs-Murphy and Isobel who make us laugh and who greet us at the door everyday. Sadly, our dog-Max-passed away two years ago. He would follow me around the house room to room, the awesome protector that he was. Last year was a tough year for the whole family, but we still feel like our “Ham Dog” is watching over us.
When I’m not grading papers or working on lesson plans, I enjoy watching movies and t.v. shows with my family. Some of my favorite shows are Brooklyn Nine Nine, Evil, and Legends of Tomorrow. I love reading graphic novels and books. One of my favorite graphic novel series that I recently read was “Locke & Key” by Joe Hill, which is now a t.v. series on Netflix and a must see! I also love traveling every summer with my family. So far, we have been to 40 states. Three summers ago we went to Mount Rushmore and to the Badlands. The Badlands are breathtaking at sunset! Things that I wish I could do better are: cook, exercise on a regular basis, and wear heels.