Amanda is a special education teacher at Lakewood Middle School. She has been teaching for 24 years, with 10 of them being at Lakewood Middle. Amanda was inspired to become a teacher by her fi rst grade teacher, Mrs. Thompson, who always encouraged students’ success and helped shape them into amazing people. Her favorite part of teaching is watching her students grow in their academic journey and in their personal lives. A fun fact about Amanda is that she is currently remodeling a farmhouse built in 1910. Her farm has 33 goats, 14 cats, three dogs and a crested gecko.