Teaching Biography

As a child I fantasized about doing many things when I grew up: being an astronaut, a lawyer, a professional soccer player, a full time mommy, or even a roller coaster connoisseur who went from amusement park to amusement park, riding all day long. But in my heart I knew that I would only pursue these fantasies during my summers off, for I was going to be a teacher! After all, the fantasies only lasted as long as the recesses I allowed my dolls and stuffed animals while playing school. Now I am what I always dreamed and knew I would be... and I love it!

Thanks to some fabulous training at McPherson College, including my presidency of the Student KSNEA chapter, my involvement in many extracurricular activities such as soccer, volleyball, vocal ensemble, drama, student government, and being an R.A., I feel I learned how to become the well-rounded, experienced, talented, passionate teacher I believe I am today. Professionally, my goals are to inspire students to not just learn, but to enjoy learning. It is my aim to make students excited about pursuing knowledge. That is how I was personally awakened to the idea of teaching English. I had an intense professor who helped me overcome my disdain for English as it was taught to me at the high school level. She helped me become the Self-Professed-English-Nerd that I am. In college I also discovered my love of American Sign Language, and was able to develop my skills via an interpreting job, before I had to do my student teaching at Inman High School. Eventually, I would like to pursue a masters degree in Deaf Education, but right now I am having too much fun doing what I am doing!

Although I interpreted in the classroom and did private tutoring during college, my first teaching job was for Burrton’s summer school program, where I taught sixth, seventh and eight graders remedial reading and writing. That passed the time and prepared me for my first real classroom at Chase High School. I taught there from 1997-2001, and during that time had my hand in many activities, including freshman through senior English, speech, forensics, and developed my interpreting skills to make them suitable for teaching American Sign Language I, II, and III, courses I designed myself. In addition to various QPA committee responsibilities, I also revived and directed the school play, coached four very successful forensics seasons (for a new program), class sponsor, coached cheerleading for three years, and for one year was the district librarian and the assistant boy’s junior high basketball coach. I am familiar with and very much enjoy the small school setting and all its idiosyncracies.

Here at Sterling High School, I am responsible for teaching freshman and sophomore English and American Sign Language courses, levels I-III (which is now approved by the board of regents for foreign language credit!) . I am currently director of the winter play and have served as assistant debate coach the past two seasons. I enthusiastically look forward to continued and expanded involvement in extracurricular activities here!

As I stated earlier, it is my goal as a teacher to inspire students to want to learn. I cannot teach a student everything, but I can show him or her how to be resourceful. I want to make students passionate and responsible for their pursuit of knowledge. I do this by being sincerely excited about what I teach, and by reaching all students through creative lessons, making extensive use of the multiple intelligences and authentic assessment. I do not claim to have all the answers myself, nor do I try to “reinvent the wheel.” While I do use fellow teachers, the district curriculum, and current publications for inspiration, I depend most heavily on my students to direct what I teach. I pay attention to what inspires them by refining lessons that have worked in the past and modifying lessons that have failed.

My objectives are to help students become well-rounded, responsible and effective communicators. The students grow in self-understanding through literature, become a better user of the English language through practice, or for some, just become more responsible through simply completing the task, regardless of how tedious it may seem. The greatest pleasure I experience is “watching the lightbulb come on.” When a student connects with literature, grows personally, tastes success in an area of difficulty, or takes pride in an accomplishment, any amount of time or effort I have put forth doubles in its worth. The second greatest pleasure is growing myself; it is exciting for me to learn from my students at the same time they are learning from me.

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