Sam Deffes has worked in education for over 20 years. She began as a classroom teacher at Smart Pope Livingston Elementary in Duval County, FL where she was given the privilege of teaching grades K-4. She has also served as a reading coach, district literacy specialist, professional development facilitator and designer as well as a curriculum developer. Sam has a passion and experience working with Title 1 schools and has spent most of her career working in lowest performing schools. She is a proud graduate of the University of Florida where she obtained her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Reading. Sam was thrilled to join Learning Without Tears as a Professional Learning Literacy Advisor in May 2022 to continue sharing her passion of literacy, coaching and supporting educators and to help ensure that all students receive the educational experience they deserve.
 

Sam is happily married to her best friend and together they have two kids and a dog named Jimmy Bananas. Sam currently lives in Middleburg, FL. She enjoys quilting, playing with her kids, and party planning!

*Receives a salary from Learning Without Tears where she is an employee*
Address: Florida, United States

Heather received her undergraduate education from The University of Texas at Austin and completed her Occupational Therapy education from Mount St Mary's College in Los Angeles, becoming a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant in 2000. Since then, she has had the privilege of working with a multitude of populations, including pediatrics through geriatrics with orthopedic and neurological deficits, in hospital, outpatient, and school settings. She is a guest lecturer for Lonestar College in Houston, Texas for the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, as well as for Dysgraphia Life. In 2010, Heather became a Certified Handwriting Specialist with Handwriting Without Tears, and focused her practice on tutoring, teaching, and remediating handwriting dysfunctions with her young clients. She continues to tutor children on their handwriting with her private practice, Scribble-Write Handwriting, and happily lives in Spring, Texas with her husband and 2 college-aged children. In her spare time, Heather loves traveling, cooking, and being an empty nester.

Email: heather.york@lwtears.com

State: Texas

Shakara Jennings is a former kindergarten teacher and Teacher of the Year, who has served as a professional learning specialist for educators since 2010. She is a graduate of Georgia State University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, a Master of Education, and a Specialist in Education. She is the founder of SEED Consulting LLC, where she sows seeds of excellence through upbeat and engaging adult learning experiences. Outside of facilitating workshops she is often requested for her teacher coaching offerings, instructional design expertise, and e-learning content design. 

Shakara enjoys is an avid football fan who also enjoys playing golf, listening to music, dancing, traveling, crafting, and bargain shopping for treasures!

*Receives a speaking fee from Learning Without Tears*

Emily is a pediatric occupational therapist with over 15 years of experience specializing in OT based in sensory integrative processing, developmental disorders, sensory-based feeding challenges and school-based interventions. She is certified through CLASI, as well as the STAR Institute, in sensory integration. She is also a certified handwriting specialist, as well as a certified feeding therapist. Recently, she was the clinical director of an OT clinic in Quito, Ecuador, where she resided for 10 years, providing multidisciplinary trainings and workshops within the international school circuit in areas such as fine motor and handwriting development, inclusive learning environments, and sensory supports for the classroom, among other topics. Currently, she is a pediatric OT for a non-profit organization based in Denver, Colorado.  She was introduced to Handwriting Without Tears in 2014 and has used it both in the school setting and private practice ever since.  When she isn't sharing her love of collaborative learning and teaching, you can find her outdoors, playing soccer, or on the dance floor.  Emily is very excited to be a part of the Learning Without Tears team! 

*Receives a speaking fee from Learning Without Tears*

Kami Bible is an experienced occupational therapist, holding a B.S. in Occupational Therapy and a Master of Business Administration. With an impressive 25-year tenure in the field, Kami has served as an occupational therapist in schools across various states and has adapted to diverse service delivery models, including online school-based therapy. Her utilization of the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum has yielded tremendous success, and she takes great pleasure in sharing her experiences with fellow therapists. Kami is recognized as a seasoned presenter and has presented on the effective utilization of technology in school-based programs and offered strategies to enhance the overall strength of such programs. Kami's enthusiasm to serve as a workshop presenter allows her to further share her passion for Handwriting Without Tears with others.

*Receives a speaking fee from Learning Without Tears and receives a salary from eLuma Online Therapy where she is an employee*

Mariela Ingledew is an EC-12 Certified Reading Specialist. She currently works for Katy ISD Elementary Curriculum and Instruction Department in the capacity of Reading Academy Leader. She holds a B.A. in Bilingual Education/Interdisciplinary Studies from Houston Baptist University and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Literacy from the University of Texas at Arlington. She also has a graduate certificate in Spanish Translation and Interpretation. Mariela’s certifications include Reading Specialist EC-12, Core Subjects EC-6, Bilingual education EC-4 and LOTE Spanish EC-12. She has almost 20 years of experience in teaching and leadership. Mariela worked with PK-5th students as a teacher and reading interventionist. She has also worked with PK-5th teachers in a facilitator role. She has been involved in coaching, curriculum writing and professional development. Mariela also led the development of cross-linguistic connections for English and Spanish Phonics instruction. She is very passionate about translanguaging and using research-based strategies to create a language rich classroom. Mariela was born and raised in Argentina where she attended a private bilingual school since a young age. She moved to the United States where she obtained her B.A and M.A. She loves to travel, exercise and stay abreast of research. Mariela has utilized LWT programs since 2015. She has been a Bilingual National Presenter for LWT since 2022.

&Receives a salary from Learning Without Tears where she is an employee*