Hello and welcome!
I’m Jody, author, poet, retired teacher and Nana. My days are centered on reading, writing, and lifelong learning of words and The Word. Oh, and getting dirt under my fingernails.
With 20+ years’ experience in elementary and Middle School classrooms, Plus my own journey into writing, publishing, and teaching poetry, I’m passionate about inviting others to make friends with poetry.
Read on for a bit of my story and to see a photo of my favorite grandchild. Don’t tell the others.
mY wRITING jOURNEY
The seeds for my love of poetry were planted in 1973, the year I was married, when I discovered the words ‘poetry’ and ‘Christian’ could actually go together.
I began by reading the rich words of Luci Shaw who paved the way for so many Christian writers in the genre of poetry. The woman was a fountain of inspiration and I dove into years of writing Very Bad Poems.
At the age of 36, with two kids in school I pursued an educational program, graduating with a K-8 Teaching degree & Early Childhood Endorsement. I spent over 20 years wrangling early learners from Kindergarten through 6th grade and loved it.
During my time in the classroom I also taught middle school for two years and lived to tell it. (Give me all the six-year-olds.) I finished my teaching years as a credentialed paraeducator on a Special Ed team where I served kids with autism for over five years.
In 2012 while I was still teaching and my son and daughter were grown and married, my writing bent resurfaced. It filled my in between hours before and after my school days. I discovered the world of blogging and wrote about the widest topic possible, “the intersection of faith and life.” My online readership began to grow as I connected with other Christian writers through social media, ‘bloghops’ and commenting on other people’s work.
In 2017, I wrote my first book, Living the Season Well: Reclaiming Christmas, to help families deal with the pressures of the Christmas season, inspired by my grandkids. Readers received it remarkably well. Yay, readers!
In 2018, after feeling a nudge to explore poetry in my personal writing, I shared my first published poem with none other than Luci Shaw (!) at a Christian writing festival. Her response—“It’s only the beginning”—gave me the courage to pursue poetry wholeheartedly. Since that time, I’ve published two books–Hearts on Pilgrimage-Poems & Prayers (2021) and Mining the Bright Birds-Poems of Longing for Home (2023).
In 2026 I dusted my website off and opened a new online ‘house’ to reflect the marriage of my two favorite things–teaching and poetry–to serve homeschool parents and teachers with poetry resources. I’m so glad you’re here!
Awkward 3rd Person Bio: Jody Collins attended Fullerton Junior College in California where she majored in English and Journalism. She holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies and Teaching Credential from Fresno State University, 1991 with an Early Childhood Endorsement. In addition to spending 20 plus years in the classroom, she’s been writing online and in print for over 25 years. Jody’s not on social media but she loves getting emails. You can reach her at jodyo70@gmail.com or find her FREE poetry resources on Pinterest at AuthorJodyLeeCollins.
Luci Shaw on my left in sage green blazer. 2018, Grand Rapids, MI.
