How long have you been teaching? This is my 11th year teaching.

What inspired you to pursue a career in education? I always enjoyed school growing up, and I knew that I wanted to work with kids. Teaching allows me to be in a place that I enjoy and the opportunity to work with students.

What is your favorite thing about teaching or your biggest success story? What I love most about teaching is the relationships that I get to build with the students and co-workers.

What challenges do you face in the classroom? I face the same challenges that all teachers face in the classroom. With social studies, there is the added challenge of trying to get students to make connections with the people of our past to help better our future.

How does Gallopade Curriculum make a difference in your classroom? Gallopade Curriculum does a great job of helping me teach the material that is needed without extra things I do not need. The activities and projects help to provide students with connections to the material and their present lives. Those connections help to increase learning and retention of the material.

What is something that every student should know about teachers? Teachers are trying their best every single day to help students. We truly want what is best for them and are always willing to do our part in helping them be successful.

What advice would you impart to a new teacher or someone who wants to become a teacher? Understanding the content that you are teaching is important, but your ability to make connections and relate to the students you teach is the most important thing you can do as a teacher. We, teachers, are asked to be so many things for students, which means that building strong relationships with students and providing them a safe place to learn and grow will provide students with opportunities to go beyond what they believe they are capable of. 

What do you love to do when you're not teaching? I enjoy taking trips with my family, playing golf, and exercising.