I've been teaching since 1999. For my first 8 years I taught 7-8th grade science. Since then I have taught 3rd and 4th grade science, social studies, and reading.
My passion is teaching through hand-on, cooperative learning experiences. Learning was a challenge for me and this disadvantage as a student has pushed me to teach all students in meaningful and active ways that will aid every student to succeed and enjoy learning.
I have been honored with students returning from high school sharing stories about how they remember and enjoyed my classroom. A few have told me that they were pursuing careers in science because of their experiences from my class. That is an amazing honor/award.
My undergrad degree was in elementary education (grades 1-8) with a minor in general science. I student taught in grades 2nd and 7th. As I co-taught 8th grade science in an inclusion classroom I mastered in special education. My course work beyond my master's degree has been in hands-on science, classroom management, and fluency instruction.
I'm not sure what I love more. The teaching or the creating? In teaching I can have days where kids talk back, don't listen, and parents may become upset. With creating I can have days where the computer repeatedly has error messages, stops working altogether, my own kids get peanut butter and jelly all over what I have just finished, and I (the parent) get upset! Hmmm... :)
PreK, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Higher Education, Homeschool, Not Grade Specific
English Language Arts, Reading, Vocabulary, Specialty, Science, Biology, Earth Sciences, Social Studies, Arts & Music, Music, Other (Specialty), Life Skills, For All Subjects, Classroom Management, Character Education, General Science, Writing, Reading Strategies, Holidays/Seasonal, Back to School, Poetry, Dance, Tools for Common Core, For All Subjects, Test Preparation, End of Year, Phonics