A Little About Me

I grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, with Lake Superior in my backyard. Many of my most cherished memories revolve around the great lake. My family taught me to love and respect nature as we spent most of our time in the great outdoors; camping, fishing, hiking, biking, cross country skiing, and relaxing around the fire. To this day, I would rather be outside running through the woods, canoeing down a river, or writing poetry on the lake shore than be sitting inside.

I was practically born on skis. My parents skied with my 3 siblings and I in a backpack, then, with a homemade harness around their waist, pulled us in a sled, until finally we graduated to our first pair of skis around the age of 2. I skied on a team from 7th grade all the way through college. It was on the college ski team that I met my future husband. Erich and I were married the summer after we graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College both with degrees in education. Our life took off together as we then moved to a new town and began our first teaching jobs.

My journey as a teacher began in 2006 in St. Cloud , Minnesota as a Kindergarten teacher. The people I met at Lincoln Elementary are very dear to me and will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Our teaching adventures brought Erich and I to the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the summer of 2007. We are both teaching middle school and coaching track and field in the Forest Park School District, which is one K-12 building, in Crystal Falls. It’s a wonderful place to be.

I am a believer in life long learning. During the summer of 2009, I completed a summer institute with the Upper Peninsula Writing Project. In doing so, I became a National Writing Project Teaching Consultant. I learned so much and grew both professionally and personally during those five weeks. I encourage any and all teachers to get involved! Since I began teaching at Forest Park, I took grad classes through Northern Michigan University, studying best practices in literacy and applying that knowledge on a daily basis. In the summer of 2011, I received my K-12 Literacy Specialist masters degree.

Outside of teaching and coaching, Erich and I love spending time with our daughter, Emma, and black lab, Keneu.   We are incredibly blessed to be living in a place that allows us to enjoy all of our favorite outdoor activities. Life is great.

I LOVE reading and writing! My bookshelves are overflowing with children's books, young adult literature, writer's notebooks, and much more. My heart is overflowing with ideas, which I hope to someday translate into a published book. I am an optimist and look for the pearl in everyone and everything.

My Teaching Philosophy

My philosophy is based upon building positive relationships. I love working with kids and want to give every child the opportunity to succeed and be the best they can be.  Knowing that all children have unique learning styles and experiences, and come to my classroom at different social, emotional, and academic developmental stages, it is my job as the teacher to discover their unique interests and strengths, and celebrate these differences in order to meet the needs of all my students.

I am a strong believer in building a safe and caring community, where everyone feels welcome to share, take risks, and grow academically, socially, and emotionally. To build this positive learning environment I first have to model certain expectations such as compassion, optimism, respect, and good work habits. When my students understand that they are in a place where they are respected and cared for by their teacher and peers, then I know I will receive that respect and they will grow with leaps and bounds.

The amount of learning and growth that children attain is greatly dependent on the type of learning environment and atmosphere that is established in the classroom. This environment is one where children can discover their individual worth and find the power within to succeed, experience the joy of learning, and develop compassion towards others.  I believe whole-heatedly that every single child will be able to experience success and reach their potential if the proper learning environment is created.

Through developmentally appropriate, well prepared, and engaging lessons, students will experience increased motivation and productivity as they unravel the excitement and joy of learning. When I teach with the whole child in mind and provide opportunities for students to push their limits and grow with compassion in their hearts, they will be able to spread their wings and succeed wherever they soar.

Children first!

Research -Based Practice