I am starting my 22nd year of teaching high school English. Ater completing my MA in English from UNL, I headed to Pennsylvania to teach at the Milton Hershey School, a school for economically disadvantaged youth, K-12. My husband also secured a position there, and we enjoyed working side by side for 10 years until we returned to Nebraska to be closer to family. I then accepted a position at Norris High School teaching dual credit and AP courses through SCC and the Nebraska Wesleyan University Honors Academy. I remained at Norris for 11 awesome years before now heading to East High where I will be teaching AP Language and Composition, American Literature Diff, and Sophomore English.

Each teaching assignment has influenced "who I am" as a teacher.  I have learned from youth who are quite different from myself, who come from other countires, cultures, and faiths--who have had tragedy strike their lives in gut-wrenching ways--who have achieved great success that we have celebrated together. Therefore, as an educational professional, my goal is to celebrate youth, to honor them, to revere them, and with them, co-create a learning environment that values their experiences, their accomplishes and suffering, and uses that "material" to make deeper connections to the literature, writing, and discourse in the classroom.

Young people keep me me young, hip, and cool (or so I think!)--and I relish in the opportunity to learn from them. I have often been humbled by their bravery and inspired by their perseverance.

Professional Experience