In August of 2017, I decided to return to my alma mater, here at Green Forest. I am so glad to be a tiger again! First grade is hard work, but I love the challenge! Watching a child learn at this age is absolutely incredible and I love being a part of it!

I taught first grade for four years at Berryville Elementary from 1995-1999. After my daughter, Abigail, was born I chose to take a leave of absence from public school to be with her.  My husband added on to our house and I ran a home-based preschool for six years. In 2006, I seized the opportunity to work as both a cerified preschool teacher and the site director at O.U.R Cooperative/Berryville ABC Preschool located on the Berryville Elementary campus. I was a certified preschool teacher at Berryville for twelve years.  My heart has always been with the littles!

I have been married to Eldon Nickell, a.k.a “Mr. Nick”, for almost 29 years! We have two children, who God chose perfectly for us. My daughter, Abigail, is 24 years old. She is currently living in Oklahoma City with her husband and my bonus son, Brandon Grove.  My son, Caden Storm, is 20 and he never fails to make me giggle. Caden is currently living at home and attending North Arkansas College. Being a mom is my greatest blessing!

First and foremost, I absolutely adore Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and my greatest hope is that His light shines through me every single day. I am very tender-hearted and often joke that my heart is made of Hershey’s Chocolate. :)  When I am not teaching, my favorite place to be is at home with my husband, and three adult children, Caden, Abigail, and Brandon (my daughter’s husband and my bonus son).  I enjoy photography and I am a HUGE NASCAR fan!  I have many faults, one of which is trying to fix things that are out of my control.  I’m a kid at heart and love to do all things which bring out my inner child. I think one of my greatest assets as a teacher is that I remember what it was like to be a 1^st grader and I sincerely think this helps me connect with my students.  I believe strong connections make for an awesome learning environment.  It is important to me that my classroom is truly a school family and I strive to maintain an environment filled with cooperation, positive interactions, and respect. My number one responsibility is to make sure students are safe so they can concentrate on learning.