Ms. Marnie Turman

I am happy to begin a new chapter in my education career as an Intinerant Reading Specialist. This year, I will be supporting Dominion Trail in the morning and Potowmack Elementary in the afternoon. It is an honor to be part of two wonderful learning communities. I recently earned my Reading Endorsement and English Endorsements from Longwood University. I earned my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University and completed my student teaching at Dominion Elementary. This year is my 13th year teaching. Prior to this year, I previously taught second, fourth and fifth grades as well as summer school. 

I did not start out to be a teacher, although my mom told me often that I would enjoy it. (She was right!) I earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration and Marketing from Longwood University and was a Marketing Product Manager for IT government contractors before switching careers. My time in the IT sector gave me a love for gadgets, technology and the Internet. I also learned how important it was to be a life-long learner and reader. I am thankful that I took a chance and made the switch to teaching. It has been a pleasure to work with students and see them grow and develop the skills they need to be a life-long learner.

I am an avid reader and learner and I strive to create a classroom environment where students are encouraged to be independent life-long learners. I believe that if you can read, you can learn anything. In second grade, students transition from decoding to comprehension. I believe it is important for students to have choice in book selection during this transition and learn to read a variety of books. When a student is excited about a topic, series or subject, I will find a book to feed that excitement. One of my favorite things to do is to talk about books and learning with students. It is this love of reading and learning that prompted me to pursue my position as a reading specialist. 

I grew up on a cattle ranch outside Sperryville, Virginia. Our farm is in the mountains and borders the Shenandoah National Park. I love to share stories from the ranch and farm dog, Bell.  When not teaching, I volunteer at my church, teaching 2-year-olds and playing saxophone in the orchestra. I serve as a State Chair for the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution and volunteer on many other DAR committees on the local and national levels.  I can often be found reading or writing when I should be doing something else.

It is a pleasure to work with the children in the Ashburn and Sterling communities and play a role in their development.