I have been a teacher at Woodmen Hills for 18 years as a 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teacher and as the Gifted Education teacher. Previously, I taught 6th grade Language Arts in Minnesota for 5 years. I have my Master's Degree and an additional certificate as a Master Reading Teacher. This will be my sixth year as the Gifted and Talented Facilitator.  I get excited about digging deep with highly engaging explorations of the students' passions.  My husband teaches social studies at Pine Creek High School, I have two daughters in 9th and 12th grade, and a pure-bred German Shepard named Mea.  As a family, we love to camp, hike, and swim during our free time. I also love to read and make projects from Pinterest for my home and classroom. In my classroom, I try to create a warm, comfortable, and safe environment. Creating relationships with my students is important to me, which I believe contributes to their success. I have high expectations for all students to be engaged continuously and create opportunities to build on individual interests.