Meet the Teacher

¡Hola! The 2025-26 school year marks my 32nd year teaching Spanish to our middle school students at Merton. I am excited to be teaching our 6th through 8th graders!  I am a graduate of Mount Mary College with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Spanish Minor. I am also a former graduate of Merton School and am honored to be teaching here.  I love to learn and continue to educate myself on best practices in teaching.  I have have participated in professional development opportunities including Universal Design for Learning, Learning Styles, Brain-Based Learning, Inclusionary Practices, Technology Integration and Google Apps, Teach Like a Pirate and professional book studies with colleagues. I also have my Cooperating Teacher certification and have had the pleasure of having three student teachers. I am Co-Advisor for 8th grade, Co-Advisor for Student Senate, Assistant Director in our Merton Theater Program, and a member of our Building Culture Team. 

I really enjoy the middle school age and the challenges it brings. I believe all students should be challenged to learn a world language so they can begin to see the world through a different lens. I feel my job is to not only educate my students on the value of learning a world language, but to also help them become culturally aware of the world around them and to respect others beliefs and traditions.  Through reading, writing, listening and speaking, students will begin to open a new door to communicate with others.  I have been able to travel to Mexico and Venezuela and bring exciting items and experiences back to my classroom.

I am lucky to have a wonderful family! I have been married to my husband, Doug, for 30 years. We have three children all named with the letter E-Emma, Evan and Eric. Emma is a graphic and web designer working at a marketing company in Oconomowoc. Evan is working as an accountant in Madison, and Eric is a resource conservationist in Manitowoc County. We also have a cute lab mix dog named Toby and a cute grand-puppy, Tallie. In my free time I enjoy reading, fishing, hiking, geocaching and spending time with my family and friends.  I look forward to another exciting year here at Merton!