Professional Biography

Informal Biography

My name is April Blakely.  I've been a teacher for 18 years.  My work at the University School began in 1997 after teaching in South Carolina for 5 years.  University School is a very special place for me.  I am a graduate of University High!  Also, two of my nieces and a nephew graduated from UH, and three other nieces attended University School.  I spent 12 years as a middle school Language Arts teacher at University School before beginning my current assignment as Teacher Leader for Support Services.

I'm a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescent/English Language Arts, and I'm considered "Highly Accomplished" under the No Child Left Behind legislation.  In January 2008, I received my school administrator's license.  In the October 2009, I completed my doctoral degree, an Ed. D in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis with a concentration in Educational Administration.

My personal passions include reading good books...I always end my day with at least one or two chapters.  In the summer, my yard and flower garden occupy me outdoors.  I planted my first organic vegetable garden three summers ago.  It was quite an adventure as I fought beetles for my tomatoes, saw my corn disappear overnight to a pesky raccoon, and toiled against losing odds because of the drought! The next year my garden was more conservative, two tomato plants and my kitchen herb garden.  In 2009, I increased that to a small veggie garden that my brother planted (I'm getting smarter and now get someone else to do the sweaty work). 

I also love spending time at the lake during the summer months and enjoy the limitless hospitality of my cousin on her houseboat at South Holston lake.

In winter, you can usually find me in the kitchen dreaming up new recipes.  I have a reputation for my desserts, and I like to imagine myself as owner and head baker for a French styled bakery.  Then reality hits me as I remember that professional bakers usually go to work at 3 AM.  Sometimes the things you love are best kept in the "just for fun" category of life.

I'm also committed to volunteerism and love to travel.  As a volunteer with the ETSU Habitat for Humanity Project, I work with faculty and students to build homes.  We completed our first home in October 2007 and the second home finished in November 2008.  Our third home was just dedicated in November 2009.  Recent travel includes England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Holland, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Greece.  Many of my trips are school tours that I take with University School students and faculty.  The new school partnership with Colegio Americano de Guayaquil allowed me to add Ecuador as one of my travel destinations.  I never imagined I would visit South America.  It was the trip of a lifetime.