MEET OUR TEACHERS

Michelle is a lifelong lover of reading education, with 10 years of Elementary Education classroom experience. She graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Early Childhood Education. After years of teaching students to fall in love with reading in Highland Park ISD, she couldn’t ignore the tugging at her heart to do more for the children who needed more. Michelle got her Masters of Education in Reading & Writing from SMU and is a licensed Dyslexia Therapist (LDT), Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and a Reading Specialist (K-12). For Michelle, teaching isn't just about imparting knowledge—it's about touching hearts. Guided by this belief, she approaches each student with genuine care and compassion. Michelle's home in Dallas, TX, is filled with love, laughter, and the pitter-patter of tiny feet belonging to her adorable baby girl, Addison, her handsome baby boy, Jackson, and their beloved fur-baby, Bo. When she's not busy teaching, Michelle loves embarking on spontaneous road trips and discovering the wonders of the world around us.

Ask Michelle about her favorite book, and she'll enthusiastically share "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch. It's a tale that never fails to tug at the heartstrings and bring on the waterworks, reminding her of the incredible power words hold.

Michelle can't wait to welcome you with open arms and share her dream of igniting a passion for reading in students everywhere!

Meet Keshia, whose journey in education took her from the bustling streets of the Big Apple to the vibrant classrooms of Texas after joining Teach for America Dallas Corp in 2014. Along the way, she's earned multiple certifications, including Elementary Education, Reading Specialist, Master Reading Teacher, Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT), and Licensed Dyslexia Therapist (LDT). Her dedication led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Reading and Writing with an Early Literacy Specialization from Southern Methodist University. Having spent years teaching 1st and 2nd grade, Keshia transitioned into a full-time role as a dyslexia specialist and serves as the Chief Learning Officer at I Heart Learning Academy. Recently married, Keshia loves unwinding outside of work by binge-watching a plethora of TV shows with her husband, exploring new music, indulging in piano or video game sessions, and staying active with a good workout. Fluent in her ambitions, one of her bucket list goals is to master American Sign Language. For Keshia, the journey of teaching is deeply personal. The first encounter with "Thank You, Mr. Falker" by Patricia Palocco left an indelible mark, inspiring her to be the kind of teacher who touches every student's life. With boundless enthusiasm and dedication, Keshia is committed to being that beacon of inspiration for all who cross her path!

Meet Diana, a Texan at heart with a worldly upbringing, courtesy of her Air Force family background. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Texas A&M University and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction in Literacy from the University of Texas at Arlington, Diana is passionate about teaching reading. She's also ESL certified and a Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist. Starting as a first-grade teacher, Diana later became an Instructional Coach for kindergarten through 2nd-grade teachers in Mesquite ISD before finding her niche at I Heart Learning as a Curriculum and Instruction Development Specialist and Dyslexia specialist. Outside of work, she's a devoted mom to her two daughters and their fur-baby, Maggie. Diana enjoys teaching Pilates and unwinding with movie nights. Her favorite book, "Ruby the Copycat" by Peggy Rathman, inspires Diana to embrace authenticity. Motivated by her love for reading and her experiences as the "new kid," she's also ventured into writing her own children’s book, "Benny’s Moving Buddy," to comfort relocating children. With endless enthusiasm and empathy, Diana spreads the joy of learning in both her professional and creative pursuits

Addie graduated from the University of Arkansas in May of 2023 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a minor in Anthropology. After graduation, she hopes to eventually attend graduate school to become a Speech-Language Pathologist. Addie grew up in Dallas, Texas and attended school in HPISD. Reading and writing have always been her favorite subjects and sparked her love of working with children and helping them to read, write and communicate effectively. In college, Addie worked as a swim teacher and later a classroom floater at Kids Unlimited Learning Academy in Springdale, Arkansas. Getting to see the progress that each child makes continues to fuel Addie’s passion for learning. Growing up, her favorite book to read with her mom was Alberto the Dancing Alligator by Richard Waring. This book was the start of her passion for reading and writing. Addie also has a Golden Retriever named Phil who she loves very much and spends time with when she isn’t teaching or studying!

From an early age, Brooke always wanted to become a teacher. She can vividly remember reading “Magic Tree House” to her stuffed animals and teaching her Barbie dolls the difference between nouns, verbs, and adjectives when she was just a little girl. Brooke later on made this a reality, when she graduated from Texas State University with her bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. This degree led her back to her hometown, Plano, where she now is a 5th-grade teacher. Brooke has taught first, second, and fifth grade in her five years in the district and loves to watch her students turn reading from a chore into a hobby. Like Dr. Seuss once said, “The more you read, the more you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go!”

Dani’s goal as an educator is to see her students learn everyday, grow at their own pace, and believe in themselves. She was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. She moved to Dallas in 2021, and earned her teacher certification in Core Subjects with Science of Teaching Reading and a certification in Bilingual Education Supplemental- Spanish (Grades EC-6). Dani graduated from the University of Monterrey with a Bachelor's Degree in Educational Sciences. With almost seven years of classroom experience, she has worked as a Teacher’s Assistant, an Inclusion Assistant, and an Elementary Bilingual Teacher. Dani and her husband, Beto, enjoy traveling together, doing outdoor activities, and spending time with family and friends. She also enjoys reading, dancing, walking, yoga, and pilates. We’re All Wonders by R.J. Palacio is a very special book for Dani because it celebrates uniqueness, friendship, inclusion, and belonging.

Isabella is currently completing graduate classes in the Speech-Language Pathology program at The University of Texas at Dallas. Through volunteering in the children’s service at her church and working in the child center at her local gym, she became passionate about making a positive impact on a child’s life. In her experiences, she has realized how children can be inspired and motivated by teachers and hopes to be influential in her students’ lives. When Isabella isn’t at IHL or at school, she enjoys baking, exercising, finding new restaurants, and traveling. Her love for reading began in early childhood when her mother would take her to the library or Barnes and Nobles to find books. In elementary school, she became a bookworm when she read 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass.

Joy is a New York native, who earned her B.S. in Education and Psychology from Smith College and her M.Ed as a Reading Specialist from Columbia University Teachers College. Throughout her career, she has been privileged to work with students and teachers in a variety of K-12 settings. She has worked as a Kindergarten and First Grade classroom teacher for five years and a Reading Specialist for middle and high school students after that. Joy's passion for teaching students reading began while she was student teaching. She greatly enjoyed watching her students learn and fall in love with reading like she has. Her goal is to create academically engaging learning experiences through an environment that fosters creativity, curiosity, and kindness. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, exploring the restaurant scene in Dallas, and playing tennis.  

Growing up in Arlington, Sarah loved learning and teaching early in life. Playing school was her favorite thing to do as a child. She attended Southern Methodist University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Education. Her teaching certificates include Early Childhood to Fourth Grade and ESL. Sarah’s first teaching job was with Arlington ISD right after graduation. She taught third grade, PreK 3, and Kindergarten there for over eight wonderful years. Currently, she is working on her Masters in Education at SMU. Sarah is married with three children, two boys and one girl. When she is not enjoying her kiddos' extracurricular activities, you can find her playing pickleball, walking her dog, reading, or playing Mahjong with friends. One of her favorite books is Fish in a Tree by Mullaly Hunt. It reminds Sarah of the teachers that never gave up on her and inspired her to become a teacher.

Sharilyn is proud to be a 5th-generation native Texan who retired in 2019 after 29 years of experience in Texas Public Schools. Sharilyn earned her Master's Degree in Educational Administration in 1992 and her Bachelor's Degree in Education in 1990 from the University of North Texas in Denton. She has many certifications including Mid-Management Administrator (PK-12), Elementary Self-Contained (1-8), Elementary Reading (1-8), Early Childhood Education (PK-K), Generic Special Education (PK-12), and ESL (PK-12). Sharilyn was trained in the Dyslexia Intervention Program and Take Flight. She was a Dyslexia Teacher, Reading Interventionist, and PreK/K classroom teacher in Mount Vernon ISD for 12 years, a Reading Teacher in Sulphur Springs ISD for 1 year, and spent 16 years in Mesquite ISD as a Title 1 Teacher, Master Teacher K-2nd, and classroom teacher 1st-5th grades. Sharilyn married her high school sweetheart, Paul who is also a teacher.  They have two adult children, Hank and Hayley. Sharilyn has a passion for working with students that have yet to see their potential as successful learners, and she feels it is her privilege to share in their educational journey. Sharilyn plays the keyboard in a band, volunteers in her community, and loves to travel! One of her favorite books is Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes because the main character has an unusual name just like Sharilyn does, and she had a similar experience when she was in elementary school. She had an amazing teacher who encouraged her to embrace the uniqueness of her name.