I am a mother of three active children. Traveling to various sporting events is a typical occurrence for my family. Cassie is 13 and is in eighth grade. She is an over-achiever when it comes to anything she attempts. Corrie is 11 and is in the sixth grade. She is a happy-go-lucky girl that has fun with anyone and everything. Conner is 9 and is in the fourth grade. He is adventurous and has a creative imagination. I have been married to my husband, Lenny, for more than 14 years. He is an IT Manager for United Healthcare. In my spare time I love to travel, cook, and spend time with my family and friends. I firmly believe continuing education is essential in life to achieve success. Be a life long learner!  Degrees/Colleges:  M.A. - St. Xavier University – 2008  B.S. - Western Illinois University – 2004  A.A. - Black Hawk College – 2002

Philosophy of Education: I believe that in order for children to develop appropriately, there needs to be an emphasis on providing a safe and nurturing environment that promotes children’s knowledge in all developmental areas:  physical, social, emotional, and cognitive.  I also believe that each child should be viewed as a unique person with an individual pattern and timing of growth.  As teachers and adults, our interaction with students needs to be responsive to their individual differences in ability, interests, development, and learning styles.  Teachers need to guide student’s involvement in activities that are real, concrete, and relevant to their lives.  I also feel that as teachers and adults, we can enrich student’s learning experiences by extending their ideas, responding to their questions, engaging them in conversation, and challenging their thinking.  Finally, I believe teachers should view parents as partners in the education process.  Teachers need to listen to parents, seek to understand their goals for their children, and respect them as well as their culture and family differences.