Welcome!! I am Mrs. Valerie Bishop. This is my second year teaching at Clarke Elementary in first grade. I have taught third grade and preschool in the past. I have also substituted in kindergarten all the way to high school. I chose teaching as a profession mostly due to my first grade teacher who inspired me every day as a child. She made all of her students feel safe and respected in her classroom. That is one of my goals as a teacher. When I am not at school I can be found with my husband cheering on our 5 sons at sports, music performances or their other interests. I also like to spend time outdoors with our three dogs. One of which is a rescue dog adopted this summer. I am involved in my church, a longtime member of a book club and recently involved in my town of Leon, Iowa's new Friends of the Library organization. I have taken up gardening and I love to learn from others to improve my flowers and vegetable yields.