#56: A Passion for Kindness (Part I with Tamara Letter)

About Tamara She is a mom. Raising three children provides endless opportunities for reflection as you discover what works (and what doesn’t!) for each of the little personalities you are trying to shape. Tamara’s parenting stories are sparked by observations and interactions as her children learn and grow. She is an educator. Tamara began her teaching career in 1997 with Clark County School District in Las Vegas, NV. Since that time, she’s educated children, teachers, parents and district leaders through my work with Shelby County Schools in Memphis, TN, Staunton City Schools in Staunton, VA, and Hanover County Public Schools in Ashland, VA. Her professional experiences include serving as an elementary classroom teacher, a Differentiation Specialist and a technology integrator. She was named 2019 Mechanicsville Elementary Teacher of the Year and an R.E.B. Award for Teaching Excellence finalist (with final designations announced November 2018!) She currently hold a masters degree in Educational Leadership with administrative licensure for grades PK-12 that she received from James Madison University in 2006. She presents at local, state, and international conferences to include EdTechRVA, Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) Conference, and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference. In 2018, she was a keynote speaker for the Clarke County Innovation Conference and serve as Social Media Chairperson for the annual VSTE Conference. She is passionate about student choice and voice and will often share stories of her lessons to inspire educators or perhaps strike a conversation that will engage others to delve deeper into the topic at hand. She is also passionate about kindness, hosting the annual Kindness Share Fair at Mechanicsville Elementary School. Being an educator to other parents’ children is tightly woven into her own parenting style. She is a writer. In 2012, she created her first blog, sharing her journey of completing 40 random acts of kindness for others in celebration of her 40th birthday. After presenting an Ignite session at the 2014 ISTE Conference in Atlanta, GA, she expanded her passion for writing to include various publications with organizations such as ISTE, Tech4Learning, and Christian Educators Association International. Her repertoire now includes book collaborations, web posts, magazine articles, screencasts, webinars, digital learning guides and more. She is currently writing a book about kindness to be published in 2019 by Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.