Candy Mulligan is a Director of Language Arts in a NJ school district. Her thirteen years in the classroom as a 6th, 5th, 2nd, and 1st grade teacher have provided a strong background in literacy instruction. Her passion for teaching reading and writing led Candy to earn her Masters in Reading and Language Arts in 2006. She later pursued her Supervisory Certification, knowing that some day she wanted to share her love of literacy through providing staff development to teachers. Candy presented a workshop entitled Literature Circles: Fostering Genuine Conversations in Grades 3-5 at the NCTE 2001 National Convention, and she continues to present a variety of literacy workshops designed with school districts’ needs in mind. Candy is also an adjunct professor in NJ where she teaches a course entitled Content Area Reading.