Greetings!  I am Lakeshia Smith-Moody, the ARI Reading Specialist at Oxmoor Valley Elementary School.  I have been blessed to be an educator for 25 years.  I am a National Board Certified Teacher, and I also hold a Master's Degree in Elementary Education. I have a certification in Educational Leadership, and I am currently pursuing an EDS. in Educational Leadership. I  also serve as a fellow with the UAB Red Mountain Writing Project. 

       I have a passion for education, and I enjoy seeing ALL students excel.  Each day that  I enter the doors of Oxmoor Valley Elementary School, I view it as an opportunity to help others to grow professionally and an opportunity for me to grow as well.  My daily job duties include providing professional development for teachers, modeling researched-based reading strategies, and collaborating with administration towards meeting school-wide literacy goals. 

      My philosophy of education is that all students are capable of learning.  However, as educators, we have to establish relationships with each of our scholars and identify how they learn.  We have to work to motivate students to learn and always communicate high expectations.  It is pertinent to our students' success to establish the "why" behind what we do as educators and ensure that students know the "why" behind their daily instructional participation. As Nelson Mandela stated, " Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world."   As an educator, it is my goal to evoke positive change in the world by working collaboratively with others to provide quality education to the students I serve.