Hoffman achieves this goal through Project Based Learning — a method that directs students through projects that are authentic and connects them with their community. “This past year, second graders had to understand how the past impacts their life today,” she wrote. “Students learned about famous people, events and daily life in the past. Then we partnered with an assisted living community to come meet our students.” Hoffman said this project brought context to the past and students continued talking and making connections to their present with the many stories they heard from residents in the assisted living community. Students need to learn by shared experiences and conversations, she said. “During our projects we work in teams, consult with community experts and gather feedback from peers,” she wrote.

Hoffman meets this challenge through Project-Based Learning and authentic learning opportunities, while planning for the needs of every student’s unique needs. “Walk into my classroom any day and ask my students what my favorite word is, and they will say ‘flexible,’” she wrote. “At this point in my career, being flexible to meet the needs of my students is my greatest asset.”

Hoffman earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Central Missouri in 2009 and a master’s degree in education from Baker University in 2021.