Personal Information:

I grew up in Higginsville and graduated from Lafayette Co. C-1 in 1995. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 23 years. I have 3 amazing children, Dylan, Jasper, and Jayden. I also have 2 dogs, Koda and Grace and one granddog Fefe. In my free time I love to spend time with my family, listen to music, hike, watch movies, and read.

College Background:

I went back to school later in my life to obtain my teaching degree because I realized what a strong passion I had for teaching kids and making a difference in their lives. I received my Bachelor of Science in Education with a double major in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from The University of Central Missouri in 2011. With the ever growing demand for the use of technology in the classroom, I decided to go back to school and obtain my Master's in Education in Teaching and Technology in 2013 from William Woods University. Then, in 2018 I was given the opportunity to switch to Gifted and Talented Education. I took classes through Truman State University to complete my gifted certification and after teaching in the RISE classroom for 2 years, completed my certification in 2020.

Teaching Experience and Philosophy:

I am now in my 10th year teaching at Lafayette County C-1 School District. This is my fourth year as the RISE instructor. Understanding what it means to be gifted as well as learning what each individual student needs to grow can be difficult but is extremely important. Having been in the gifted program myself when it first started at Lafayette County, watching my own children be active members in the RISE program, and being a regular classroom teacher trying to help meet the needs of gifted students helps me have a different perspective as I continue my journey with the RISE program.

I believe that every child is capable of success, as long as he learns to work hard and believe in himself. In my class, we stress student safety, allowing every child to respond or try to answer questions without the fear of being wrong or being ridiculed for incorrect answers. No person is perfect, and I believe a student experiences some of his best learning by making mistakes and learning from them. I also believe that students need to be pushed outside of their comfort zones, challenging their minds in a safe environment. I utilize "Growth Mindset" in my classroom, which basically means a student may not know how to do something yet, but that will not stop him from trying again until he learns it. It is my belief that children should look forward to going to school in the morning and should be excited to share with their families about what they did that day at school.

I strive to provide a fun yet challenging learning environment for my students. I have created this site as a resource for my parents and students. Check here for helpful information, links to websites, and activities for students. I will try to keep it up-to-date and full of information to help both students and parents find resources to better understand what it means to be gifted.

Note: Please bare with me as this site is under construction.