I am a passionate educator who wants to travel the world in the pages of a book and in the shoes on my feet, and along the way, inspire students to do the same.
I grew up in northern Minnesota, where the lakes and the trees outnumber the people. Despite the beauty of the surrounding nature, I was often found with my nose in a book. Reading was my first love, which spread into affairs with writing and poetry. My English teachers in high school developed my passions into something deeper that I decided I needed to share. So off I went to college to become the idealistic English teacher who inspired students to stand on desks and quote poetry a la Dead Poet's Society. I attended the University of Minnesota Duluth and received a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Teaching Communication Arts/Literature for grades 5-12.
My first teaching job was in Chatfield, a small town in southeastern Minnesota. I taught 8th grade literature, 11th grade British Literature, and a Language! intervention class. Needless to say, students were NOT standing on their desks to recite poetry for me. (Although they did create their own poetry rendition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, which was good enough for me! No, actually, it's really good. You should read it.) From there I switched to teaching 8th grade English in Kasson, MN, where I spent the following three years learning the nuances of middle school life. Let me tell you, I should have got my degree in that! I quickly learned the ins and outs of education are much more complicated than creating the right questions for the next Socratic discussion on The Grapes of Wrath. I had students in 8th grade who were reading at a first grade level, students who were homeless, had witnessed domestic abuse, spoke another language, were bullied, and had experienced failure after failure in school. Students, who for good reason, hated sitting in the cold desks day after day and had given up on education.
This was about the time my passion for reading and writing turned into a passion for education.
I went back to school at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and earned a Master of Arts in Literacy Education. In this program, beyond learning the research behind reading instruction, diagnosis, intervention, and assessment, I learned the importance of literacy. Education, along with strong literacy skills, is one of the best ways to stop the cycle of poverty in our country that is disproportionately spread among minorities. Students need literacy skills first of all to learn other skills in other classes, but also to be good employees, participate in society, stay healthy, advocate for themselves, and to raise their own children in a literate environment. My passion now lies in literacy education for all students.
I moved to the Central Coast in California to continue my dream of being an educator that makes a difference. I spent 6 months as a Literacy Specialist at an elementary school, before finding my current position as a middle-school reading intervention teacher.
My first teaching job was in Chatfield, a small town in southeastern Minnesota. I taught 8th grade literature, 11th grade British Literature, and a Language! intervention class. Needless to say, students were NOT standing on their desks to recite poetry for me. (Although they did create their own poetry rendition of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, which was good enough for me! No, actually, it's really good. You should read it.) From there I switched to teaching 8th grade English in Kasson, MN, where I spent the following three years learning the nuances of middle school life. Let me tell you, I should have got my degree in that! I quickly learned the ins and outs of education are much more complicated than creating the right questions for the next Socratic discussion on The Grapes of Wrath. I had students in 8th grade who were reading at a first grade level, students who were homeless, had witnessed domestic abuse, spoke another language, were bullied, and had experienced failure after failure in school. Students, who for good reason, hated sitting in the cold desks day after day and had given up on education.
This was about the time my passion for reading and writing turned into a passion for education.
I went back to school at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and earned a Master of Arts in Literacy Education. In this program, beyond learning the research behind reading instruction, diagnosis, intervention, and assessment, I learned the importance of literacy. Education, along with strong literacy skills, is one of the best ways to stop the cycle of poverty in our country that is disproportionately spread among minorities. Students need literacy skills first of all to learn other skills in other classes, but also to be good employees, participate in society, stay healthy, advocate for themselves, and to raise their own children in a literate environment. My passion now lies in literacy education for all students.
I moved to the Central Coast in California to continue my dream of being an educator that makes a difference. I spent 6 months as a Literacy Specialist at an elementary school, before finding my current position as a middle-school reading intervention teacher.
|
|
|
