CONNECTIONS turn the world. They are what form relationships, what link our history to our future, and what link our prior knowledge to our new knowledge. Connections help us live and learn. It is the connections in my life that have shaped the unique person I am today through my cumulative experience in education, parenting, the business world, and community involvement. I use all of these connections each day to be the best, most effective teacher I can be to educate, enlighten, and empower our youth of today.

My connections started as I grew up a farmer’s daughter in Northwest Iowa, graduated from a small school in Alta, Iowa, and started college. After one year at Iowa State, I married, started a career in the legal field, and then started my family. After 17 years of parenting, working in the business field, and contributing to the local community, I felt the strong call to teaching. In order to accomplish this goal, I worked full time in education while simultaneously working full time on completing my teaching certificate. Once I earned my teaching license, I immediately began working toward achieving my Master of Arts in English in order to gain expertise to match my passion for high school English literature and writing. Each of these difficult but fruitful tasks allowed me the opportunity to connect and apply the knowledge gained from my education to the experiences gained while working in education, a truly unique opportunity that not many teachers have been blessed with and one I am confident has made me a better teacher.

My family is the strongest connection to who I am today. My husband Rod (since 1987) and my children (Jacob 1990, Alexandra 1993, and Jessica 2000) have supported and inspired me tremendously in my goal of becoming a teacher. In addition, I am continually inspired by all the students I have served in my positions as Literacy teacher and ELL coordinator. Since 2005, I have served in a number of educational roles: ELL coordinator, ESL teacher, high school English teacher, middle school literacy teacher, mentor teacher, and model educator, first for Atlantic Community Schools and now for AC/GC High School in Guthrie Center, as well as adjunct/concurrent instructor for IWCC and DMACC. The connections I now have to the students, their families, and the rest of the world through them have changed, grown, and continue to shape me into a stronger, more well-rounded person each day. I truly love being able to work with all students and their families.

I believe all these connections between my family, my education, and my work (in both the business and education worlds) have formed a strong and unique learning experience in becoming the motivated, creative, connected teacher I strive to be each day. I believe you will see these connections as you move through my website and online classroom. I invite you to CONNECT WITH ME in this journey of LIFELONG LEARNING.