From just about the very beginning...I have wanted to be a teacher. Well, maybe not from the VERY beginning (I can recall wanting to be a farmer at age five-I thought the overalls were pretty cool.) Other than my farmer phase, I have always wanted to teach. My sister and I used to play "school" with our stuffed animals, and I would teach them the basics- how to add and subtract, how to read, and how to write (all of the things every stuffed animal needs to know.)

Much, much later, I majored in education at Penn State University, and Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, where I received my bachelors degree. I later earned a masters degree in mathematics education for grades 5-9. I have taught in Columbus, Ohio, Milford, Kansas, and Smithfield, Pennsylvania. I first started working here at St. Francis in 2005.

It wasn't long after I started teaching at St. Francis that I was assigned to teach much of the middle school math classes. I was a bit hesitant at first, but actually ended up liking it much better than anything I had ever done before. (You never know what God has in store for you!)

I cannot believe I am about to say this, but...I LOVE MATH. Yes, I said it. I LOVE MATH. Working with numbers, manipulating them to solve a much larger problem, working collaboratively with students to solve difficult math problems- I love it all.

I also love working at St. Francis. I love the students and my colleagues on the middle school team. I am truly fortunate that God has placed me here.

As for more personal aspects of my life, I live in Pennsylvania with my husband Joe, two sons, Joe Henry and Sam, and twelve dogs. No, that's not a typo. That's TWELVE dogs. Our "pack" numbers have fluctuated over the years.  In fact, just this past June, we welcomed four new beagles to our pack:  CC, Ruby, Smokey and Mouse.  We've lost quite a few over the years and we look forward to seeing them again in heaven, and know that they are now enjoying being a part of Jesus' pack. 

So, our pack now consists of an XL American Bully (Lil Puppy) a Doberman (Dutch) and ten beagles (in addition to the four I named above, we also have Apple, Lucy, Bert, Ernie, Rosie and Mary.)  I love spending time outdoors with both my human and canine family: camping, hiking, biking and riding my quad (four-wheeler.) When I am outdoors, I am constantly reminded that God is good, and that He is ever-present in my life. 

Natalie Moritz

Middle School Mathematics Instructor

nmoritz@sfccs.org