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Sheri Kennedy has dedicated her life to working in education since 1979. She earned a BS in Special Education from Southeast Missouri University and a Masters in Special Education Administration from Memphis State University. She holds K-12 teaching certificates in Behavioral Disorders, Learning Disabilities, and Intellectual Disabilities. She is also certified as a School Psychological Examiner, Vision Intervention Program Screener, and as a K-8 Principal.

Learning Lab Founder & Director

Pam Hamlett is a retired educator with 30 plus years of experience. She received her BA in Exceptional Children at Southeast Missouri State University and MA in School Counseling at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. She is certified as a Director of Special Services and Psychologic Examiner. She holds K-12 teaching certifications in Learning Disabilities, Behavioral Disorders, and Mental Disabilities, as well as Secondary School Counselling.

Advisory Board Member

Advisory Board Member

Dawn’s professional career began in 1991 in the Poplar Bluff Sped Department. In 1997 she accepted a position at East Carter Elementary School, working in the Reading Recovery classroom. In 2003 the Vision Intervention Program (V.I.P.) came to East Carter and through this program, she earned certifications of Vision Intervention Screener and Tutor. Dawn has spent over fifteen years as the instructor of V.I.P classrooms.

Jan retired in 2010 after 36 years of teaching. She has a master’s degree in special education and is certified as a Reading Recovery teacher. During Jan’s teaching career she served as a special education resource teacher, a reading teacher, a reading instructional coach, a math instructional coach, a student support services instructor, and an administrator for Educational Talent Search.

Advisory Board Member

Angie has been in education since 1994. She has been a classroom teacher, physical education teacher, a coach, and a principal. Recently Angie gained her certification as a Vision Intervention Tutor through Learning Insight, Inc. She is very passionate about helping students reach their full potential through physical activity.

Vision Intervention/ Visual Processing Tutor

​Jan has a BSE from Arkansas State University and a MSE from Southwest Missouri Baptist University. She spent 31 years teaching students from first grade to seventh grade before retiring. She was awarded Teacher of the Year at the Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 5th and 6th Grade Center as well as District Teacher of the Year in 1998, and was a runner up in the state of Missouri – the first teacher from Poplar Buff to be a finalist at the state level. 

Tutor

Nancy Morse is a certified and state licensed Speech Language Pathologist. She graduated from Southwest Missouri State University (MSU) in 1983 with her Bachelor‘s degree and later from Southeast Missouri State University in 1986 with her Master’s degree. She also has a certificate in Autism from Missouri Western. She has worked with the developmentally delayed population at the Poplar Bluff Regional Center and with Missouri First Steps Program.

Advisory Board Member

Joanna Lefler holds a BSE in Elementary Education from the University of Central Arkansas. She served as a reading aide at Lake Road Elementary School when she and her husband moved to Poplar Bluff and. Later she taught sixth grade followed by seven years as a second-grade teacher.

Tutor

Kelly Baker has worked in education since 1985. In the Greenville, Missouri, school district Kelly worked as a special education teacher for eight years and a counselor for 16 years. Kelly has a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Exceptional Children, and a Master of Science in Counselor Education from Southeast Missouri State University. She is also an education administration specialist and a psychological examiner.

Tutor

Kathleen Pattillo is a certified public educator who has received a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Communication Arts from Arkansas State University and is currently receiving a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from William Woods University. Kathleen currently teaches 6th grade Geography at the Poplar Bluff Middle School where she was named the Poplar Bluff Middle School Teacher of the Year..

Tutor

Tutor

Pamela Dunivan has been and educator since 1996. She has taught kindergarten at Poplar Bluff R-1 for the past 12 years with one year as a Reading Coach/Reading Interventionist. Pamela received her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education/Elementary Education from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She received her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri.

Tutor

Nicki Villasana is a certified public educator who has received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Texas. Her certifications include specializations in gifted and talented and English as a Second Language. Nicki has been in the classroom since 2005 having taught 2nd, 4th, and 5th grades in all subject areas

Tutor

Terry DeShaney is an educator with 18 plus years of experience working with children of all ages and disabilities.  Ms. DeShaney holds a K-12 teaching certification in Learning Disabilities, Behavioral Disorders, and Mental Disabilities. She also holds a certification in Early Childhood Birth-3rd grade regular and special education. She was awarded Teacher of the Year at the Clearwater R-1 School District for the 2011-2012 school year. 

Tutor

Alex has taught at the R-1 School District for 3 years and was a classroom aid in the special education department for 2 years while working towards her BA in Elementary Education through Hannibal LaGrange. Alex holds certificates in Early Childhood birth-3rd grade, Elementary Education 1st-6th grade, and Mild to Moderate Special Education K-12th grade.  Alex is now working on her masters in administration through WilliamWoods. 

Tutor

Kathy Trotter graduated from Arkansas State University and began her teaching career in elementary education. During her tenure she taught classroom grades second through fifth. 

Tutor

Ms. Berry earned a BS in Business Administration from Oakland City University in 1988, a BS in Elementary Education (1-6 certification) with a minor in social studies from southeast Missouri State University in 2005, and Masters In Elementary Education from William Woods University in 2014. Ms. Berry has taught 3rd grade nine years and 1st grade for 5 years.

Educator

Mary retired after 42 years of teaching. She has a Master’s Degree in Reading and is a certified Reading Recovery Teacher. During her career, she taught at Oak Grove Elementary, Jackson County Schools, Tuckerman, AR, and Greenville, AR.  She spent many years as a classroom teacher before becoming a Reading Recovery Teacher, Reading First Coach, and Reading Intervention Instructor.

Educator

Anita Birdsong has a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from SBU. She has taught 29 years for the Poplar Bluff School District.  She taught at the Early Childhood school while also working as a PAT instructor and an Adult Basic Education teacher. Then, she moved to Mark Twain Elementary to teach 2nd grade where she earned the 1999-2000 Teacher of the Year award. Mrs. Anita is excited to be able to continue her career teaching at The Learning Lab.