Who Am I?

Hi there! My name is Ms. Stephens and I am a 3rd Grade teacher at Briar Vista Elementary. I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and I don't plan on moving away any time soon. Right after I graduated from high school, I went to college at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, Georgia. I graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor's Degree in Art History. A few years after I graduated, I decided that I wanted to become a teacher, so I went back to school at Georgia State University. There, I got my Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education. That was the best decision of my life! I love my job and I love going to school every day! There are many reasons why I love it - most importantly because I love to learn and I love to have fun while doing it. This is easy to do in a classroom full of curious and crazy 3rd graders!

Neither one of the colleges that I went to have football teams, but that doesn't mean I'm not a college football fan. Every year, I can't wait for college football season to start so I can cheer on the United States Air Force Academy Falcons. A lot of people don't even know that the Air Force Academy has a football team, but they do! Their colors are cobalt blue and silver. I love going to Colorado Springs, Colorado in the fall to see football games with my family. 

Family is the most important thing of all to me. My mom is my very best friend and if you are in my class, you will hear a lot about her - probably even get to meet her a few times throughout the year. She is also a teacher, so one of my favorite hobbies is sitting around sharing school stories with her. I love listening to her advice because she has so much practice. Another one of my hobbies is arts & crafts. Most of the projects I do are for my classroom, but I also enjoy doing arts & crafts for my house and for other people. Pinterest is my best friend and I can spend hours browsing, getting new ideas, and looking at different projects to complete one day!  

I don't have any children of my own yet, but I do have the cutest and sweetest puppy in the world! Brodie, my Boxer, makes me laugh all the time because he is so funny and cheerful. I enjoy taking him for walks, playing ball with him, taking him on car rides, and cuddling with him. I love to share pictures, videos, and stories about Brodie with my students so that they can laugh too!

Another one of my favorite things to do is cook. I love to experiment and try new things in the kitchen. I like trying new recipes, but I also love using my imagination and creating things without a recipe. It's fun to see what you can make when you use random things from the kitchen and don't use a recipe or go to the grocery store. I also love to try new restaurants around Atlanta. The crazier the better when it comes to food, I think. There's really nothing that I won't eat, but I do have some favorites. I love guacamole, or anything with avocados. I also love Thai food, especially red curry with chicken and veggies. 

My favorite colors are turquoise and hot pink, as you can probably tell. However, I love all colors that are bright. I really love coffee in the mornings and Wild Strawberry Crystal Light. If I don't have one of those two things with me during the day - something might be wrong.