📚 Meet Heather: A Reading Teacher Who Builds Community—One Book at a Time

Heather with John and his wife Chris...after our dinner realizing they were all twinning!

At the same dinner where John jumped in to join the team (👋 if you missed that story, [link to blog 6]), Heather was sitting across the table. And just like John, she looked me in the eye and said:

“I’m interested too.”

Once again, I did my best to talk her out of it.

“Are you sure you want to work for me?” I joked.

Heather just smiled and said,

“I can teach reading!”

And that’s when my mind started racing back through the years.

A Longtime Partnership

I first met Heather over 20 years ago, when I joined our school as a special education teacher. My students with IEPs were placed in two classrooms, and I was meant to support them by pushing into each class for half the day. The goal? Build an inclusion model where all students, regardless of ability, could learn together in a supportive environment.

What no one did was explain that to the teachers whose classrooms I’d be joining…

Let’s just say…the first year had its challenges. 😅

John, Heather, and I with our friend on the picket line. We were fighting for the schools our students deserve.

Heather’s Approach: Collaboration and Heart

Heather was different. She didn’t just accept the change—she leaned in and figured it out. She learned to collaborate, share the space, and truly co-teach. Over time, her classroom became a place where all students—and their teachers—felt welcomed and supported. That spirit of curiosity, flexibility, and growth has followed her ever since.

Heather and I at a show together

Love of Reading

Heather has always had a special love for reading. One summer, she started a book club and invited a few of us to join. That group has now been meeting regularly for years. 📖 We read, we laugh, we connect—and it turns out, that was just one of her book clubs. She even brought me along to another!

She brings that same love of reading into her classroom. Her library is huge and diverse, and she has a gift for helping students discover books they’ll truly enjoy. From teaching reading strategies to building confidence, Heather helps students become stronger, more independent readers—and she does it with heart.

Our book club when read Daisy Jones and the Six

Joining our team

This fall, I’m beyond excited to have Heather joining our team to teach reading comprehension for second through fifth graders. Her love for literacy is contagious, and I can’t wait for your children to learn from her.

Let’s give her a warm welcome to the team! 🎉

Heather ready to greet her first Outschool students