Hi! My name is Kristen Smith and I am the Building Literacy Expert here at Lawton Elementary School. This is my fifteenth year in education and my fourth full year in AAPS. I hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Michigan and a Master’s Degree in Reading from Northeastern Illinois University. I began my teaching career in 2007 in Chicago, Illinois where I taught for nine years in a variety of elementary grade levels. During my time in Chicago, I pursued my passion for teaching reading and served as a mentor teacher, instructional team leader, and led a variety of study groups and professional development for other educators. Upon moving back to Ann Arbor in 2016, I worked as a literacy coach in Dearborn before joining the Lawton Staff.

A book I would recommend to Lawton students is Thank You, Omu! because it reminds us of the strong communities we can build if we are both grateful and generous to others.