Professional Experience Overview

  • Teacher of Year I have 25 years of experiences that range from teaching in a small rural school district in North Dakota where I was the sole teacher (7-12) in the “Science Department” to a very large school district in Eugene, Oregon. The past 11 years, my home has been Brookings High School.

    Nourishing my love for learning, I have earned eleven different teaching endorsements, a coaching endorsement and a K-12 Principal certification. I have developed the curriculum and taught: Anatomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Meteorology, Integrated Science, Physical Science, Physics, Algebra I and Algebra II. Other classroom experiences include teaching in a Small Learning Community (Health & Wellness Pathway) and working with students in a Success Academy (alternative learning) and a Credit Recovery Classroom.

    As a teacher leader and mentor, I have provided trainings for LanSchool Monitoring Software, Website Design, Flipped Classrooms and Blackboard Learning Management System. I have hosted University of Oregon practicum teachers and have welcomed South Dakota State University teacher candidates into my classroom to observe and gain classroom experience. I am currently the Mentoring Chair for the Brookings Education Association and was selected as a coach for South Dakota's Education Association Early Leadership Institute.

Educational Focus

  • Recently my focus has been redesigning my curriculum to include components of the flipped and blended classrooms. I developed video lessons for my students to use outside of the classroom, freeing up time in the classroom for higher-level thinking, deeper discussion and additional one-to-one support.  I have transformed my classroom from a traditional face-to-face method of teaching to student focused, customized pace instruction by fully integrating Blackboard Learn, an online learning management system.

    Transforming my teaching to this method allows me to provide person-to-person encounters and work with individual learners. It provides opportunity for me to get to know the students and help them set personal goals. It allows for me to remediate until mastery is achieved and, as a result, students find success at developing new skills and confidence in their STEM abilities.
Teacher of Year Award

Lifelong Learner

  • Flex Seating As a lifelong learner, I am alway looking for ways to improve my craft and develop new crafts.  During my free time, you can find me working in my craft room at home or the "hobby house" in my backyard.  I am a crafter with a capital "C" and a borderline hoarder.  I love to sew, woodwork, play with mixed media, repurpose furniture and.......so much more.
    Every year, I select a new skill to learn. What's next?  Welding Lessons.

    Students utilizing furniture that I repurposed to create a flexible seating Quiet Corner.  On the left is a bench that was once a coffee table. The center is a small table created from a door.  On the right is a bench constructed from an old crib.  In the back corner is a shelf from an old door.




    Family—♥

    family