Ms. Possin

All About Ms. Possin

Family:

I have 10 (yes, 10!) children, five boys and five girls. My oldest is 20 and my youngest is 4. It is a busy household, but I wouldn't have it any other way. My husband and I live in Mankato. He farms in New Richland. We both came from large families and love being parents to a large family.

As a family, we love to play games, hike, go on road trips, and be involved in theater and sports. At any given time, you might find me at a ski meet or swim meet, or being a stage mom at the theater.

Education:

The one thing I love almost as much as my family and teaching is taking classes, myself. I have a BA in English Literature from the University of Minnesota, a MA in English Studies from Minnesota State University, and (my most recent addition) a MA in Education from Minnesota State University. A doctorate is in my future, but not yet.

Teaching Philosophy:

I teach literature and writing because I love to help students explore who they are in the world through reading, and then learn to communicate their perspectives of the world through writing. I believe strongly in the power and importance of the individual voice, and the language arts are all about hearing one another's voices and sharing our own. In my classroom, students are encouraged to share their ideas and perspectives through writing and discussion.

I believe in a person-first approach to teaching, meaning that my first priority is who my students are as people before who they are as a scholar. I truly believe that each person who walks through my door has important perspectives to share.

I also believe that what you learn in the classroom during the process is far more important than producing a product. For this reason, we spend a lot of time exploring, discussing, and engaging in the process of learning and discovery.