Before, I Became a Teacher, I... grew up in Auburn, WA as the youngest of 3 kids. On a volleyball scholarship, I graduated from Whitman College in 1993 with a BA in English Lit. For 6 summers, I worked at Camp Firwood. That's where I met my husband and we were married in 2000. I earned my teaching certificate from WWU in 2001.
I didn't always want to be a teacher. I had dreams of being a cruise director, working in international business, going to seminary or becoming a Dean of Students. In some way, teaching captures the best of all these worlds.
I Became a Teacher, Because... I wanted a vocation, not just a job. I like to work with teams. I like to solve problems. I like to study. I like helping people. I choose to teach at the middle school level, because I really loved junior high. I had great teachers and loved going to school. I know, I know. This isn't normal. So, I want to make middle school a not-so-horrible place during a can-be-difficult time. That's why I've been teaching at Shuksan since 2001.
In 2007, I earned my National Boards Certification in Early Adolescent English/Literature. What does this mean for you? I'm a learner, too. I'm not perfect, but I want to teach well. I invest a lot of time, energy, thinking and heart into my job.
I want to read great books with kids and have interesting conversations. I want kids to take learning risks and make mistakes in a safe classroom with a caring teacher. I don't want to be a student's favorite teacher--just a teacher that they can trust, respect and be encouraged by.
When I Leave School, I... like to hang out with my family, go on walks, head to the library, grab some coffee, hunt for deals, read, cook, read cookbooks, Netflix, camp, enjoy dinners with friends, wander through Village Books, listen to NPR, blog and brag about my infant son, bake, go to concerts, sew skirts, play cards, screen movies at the Pickford, volunteer at Camp Side by Side, play the piano, meet with my book club, listen to music and podcasts, talk about and explore life's big questions and plan and take memorable vacations. Someday I'd even like to go Contra Dancing.
