Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived across the street from the Elementary School she attended. It was only the first day of summer vacation and she already missed her teacher. She rolled her little red wagon out of the garage, crossed the street after looking both ways, and headed down the block to say hi and maybe offer to help Mrs. Hubbard clean up the classroom after a busy year of learning in first grade. It was the year the little girl learned to read and Mrs. Hubbard held a special place in her heart because of it. The little girl couldn't go on enough adventures with Tom, Dick, Jane, Sally and Spot as she learned how to decode words and make meaning from the print on the pages. She could finally read like her older sister. This little girl was a lot like Ramona the Pest, yearning to be just like her big sister Beezus.
To thank the little girl for helping, Mrs. Hubbard sent her home with the wagon stacked high with the extra worksheets from the school year. As soon as she got home the garage was rearranged and set up to be the new neighborhood school. That summer, the little girl played school nearly every day and the little girl knew she was destined to be a teacher.
A Little Bit About Me
If you haven't guessed by now, that little girl was me. Although a lot has changed for the little girl, her passion for learning and working with children remains. I am thrilled to continue my learning journey this year as begin working with Fourth Graders.
I was born and raised in Escanaba, Michigan and obtained my Education degree from Northern Michigan University. I completed my Master's degree from Viterbo University. This will be my 32nd year of teaching, all of which have at the primary level. My passion in teaching is helping students along their journey into becoming lifelong readers and writers, problem solvers, critical thinkers, and global citizens.
On a personal note, I am married and have two children, Emily and Tim. Emily is teaching high school English at Oshkosh North and lives nearby. We are so proud to have another teacher in our family. Tim is a junior at Neenah High School. His main interests are football and basketball along with collecting shoes! My husband, Jeff, also born and raised in Escanaba, Michigan, is the school counselor at Hortonville Middle School and a former Wisconsin Badger. We are huge Badger fans! We have an Airedale Terrier named Bella, whom I enjoy taking long walks with. Your children will hear many stories about my family this year through talking, drawing, and writing together.
I enjoy running, reading, biking, gardening, snow, sunshine, and family meals together. My favorite summer job was working part-time at Oakridge Farms, a small local farm in Neenah that grows amazing food for our community. I learned to love beets and honey! I totally underestimated how strawberries and locally grown food excite people. I continue learning how to use technology in the classroom this school year to connect with families and other classrooms globally. I'm anxious to get back to the business of learning together with your child this year.
My beliefs about learning:
- I am a facilitator of learning.
- A classroom must be a learning community driven by respect, equity, and consistency.
- The goal of education is to support independent thinkers and problem solvers.
- Classroom activities should be student-led and driven by students’ interests, passions, and strengths.
- All children can learn when their process, not just the end result, is acknowledged and mistakes are recognized as part of the learning process.
- As a teacher I need to be flexible and change to the needs and requirements of each day and each student.
My goals for this school year are:
- To promote a positive self-image in each student.
- To foster a learning environment which focuses on cooperation and respect for each other.
- To individualize the educational approaches in order to fit the child to the program and not the program to the child.