PERSONALLY

I was born and raised right here on Beaver Island and have taught my entire career here. I am both a wife and a mother of three--ages 22, 17 and 15.

I believe very in volunteerism and try to spend my summer months helping our community thrive. I served for almost 10 years as the co-chairperson for Vacation Bible School. I am currently the acting president of the Holy Cross Altar Society, organize funeral luncheons and fundraisers, volunteer at the Beaver Island Community Center and co-chair the annual 4th of July Carnival and chair the Holy Cross August Dinner. I am deeply committed to Beaver Island and believe very strongly in giving back to a community that has given me so much!

I love what I do. I love the kids, the curriculum, the school, and the after-school activities and am so blessed to be able to work and live in this beautiful and supportive island community. I believe that all kids deserve to be taught as individuals, having specific goals that are determined by his/her specific needs, strengths and interests.

PROFESSIONALLY

I earned my undergraduate degree at Grand Valley State University in 1993, majoring in Language Arts with a minor in Elementary Education. The 2019/2020 School Year marked the beginning of my 27th Year Teaching! The first 12 years I spent teaching 1st and 2nd, then taught 5th & 6th Grade for the next 10 years. The last three have been with 4th & 5th...with one year being 4th, 5th & 6th grade. This year, I'm back with 5th & 6th grade. I love teaching in a small, multi-age setting that allows for personal growth plans and individualized instruction.

In April of 2000, I became Beaver Island Community School's first-ever Nationally Board Certified Teacher. This certification was granted after a lengthy and arduous task of compiling a more than 200-page portfolio of my work, submitting video and video analysis of my teaching practices and completing a 5 hour online assessment. This was the most difficult process that I have ever undertaken professionally, but by far the most rewarding. This level of certification is found in less than one half of one percent of the teachers in the Great State of Michigan.

I renewed my National Board Certification in 2010 and am making plans to renew my certification a second time in 2019. In addition, I have taken several graduate level courses at Northern Michigan University and been trained in a number of intervention strategies and instructional techniques.

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