Hi! My name is Jo Shoemaker. This school year is my eigth year as an Exceptional Children Program teacher at Ben D. Quinn Elementary. This year, I will be working with children in 4th, and 5th grade.  I have a Bachelor of Special Education degree, general curriculum with concentration in reading and a Masters in Reading Education from East Carolina University (ECU) and also hold a license for teaching in Elementary Education.

It is good to be back in the classroom with procedures that are leaning a little bit towards normal. 

I grew up on a dairy farm in Indiana and joined the Air Force a few years after graduating from high school. While in the Air Force, I was a mechanic on fighter jets.  I later met and married my husband of almost 42 years.  We love airplanes and fly control line model airplanes in national competitions, often competing against each other.  I also adore arts and crafts and call it my “sanity”. This past summer my husband and I were able to spend more time hiking, visiting family, and flying model airplanes in contests in Indiana, Maryland, and North Carolina. 

While completing my special education undergraduate degree and master degree in reading, I observed students with disabilities who struggled in all content areas because of difficulties in reading which reinforced my reasons for attending graduate school. I was also fascinated with how children learned to read and as a teacher, how I was able to help them attain strategies that alleviated some of the frustration felt when gaining effective literacy skills.  As a result, students were more eager to read on their own. I enjoy using students' interest in science to drive their motivation for reading and writing.

I was not an avid reader as a child, but now appreciate the many ways knowing how to read has enriched my life.  As a teacher, I want to instill in my students the joy of reading so that “The Need to Read” is not just a necessity to thrive in this society but also a pleasure to achieve.

Welcome to our classroom,

Ms. Shoe