Like most of you reading this profile, I am a lover of children, a care-giver, and a dedicated teacher. I spent 32 years in the classroom before retiring several years ago. During my tenure as a teacher in the elementary grades, I was on a myriad of writing committees, including those that developed the benchmarks for the district. As a literacy coach, I was able to present at both local and state levels at both the Reading and Math conferences. I co-authored a book, Beyond Book Buddies, by Corwin Press. I have also written for the internet and been a critical reader for both Scott Foresman and Corwin Press. As a teacher I wrote and received many grants at both the state and local level. During these last years, I have been writing units of study for my daughter who teaches in Texas. She has been able to use and adapt them for her Special Ed students of high school age, a task for all teachers using units and lessons of study written by others. The method of teaching should be the decision of the teacher and should meet the needs of the students he/she teaches.

My teaching style was eclectic, but I did everything I could to involve students in their learning. I believed in being a facilitator rather than a lecturer. I hated dittos and used textbooks as a reference tool. Because of my product oriented philosophy, I started writing my own units of study during my first years of teaching, not finding them in the references that I had. I developed studies that went across the curriculum and involved differentiated instruction. I have used Easy Books as introduction and patterned units after them. My preference is to write through social studies and bring in all of the literature standards that I are applicable. I have team taught, taught only one or two subjects and all the students in the grade level, and looped. My favorite through the years has been to teach all of the subjects to all of my classroom.

Again, like most of you, my honors and rewards have come in my classroom as I have seen the spark of understanding that comes with comprehension. I have been proudest of the hugs that I have shared with my students, and the tears that come with the end of the school year. That said, I have also been honored to be nominated for Teacher of the Year three times in two different districts and became a finalist one year. The rest of my honors are the same as most of yours. I have been recognized for writing my book, I have been asked to serve on committees, and I have written grants and given presentations. It still thrills me to hear from some of my students of past years, several of whom I have corresponded with even into adulthood.

During my teaching tenure, I have earned a BS in Ed, a MEd, and about 70+ hours in various methods and subjects. I received my Bachelor's from the University of Texas in Austin and my Masters from the University of Missouri in St. Louis, MO. The other hours have come through colleges and universities in Missouri and Colorado.

By writing for the internet, I hope to share my experiences and my knowledge with teachers. Like many of you, I was constantly told to just "get together with my teammates" to create units of study. The only problem was that I could never find the time, and neither could they! In presenting my units, I hope to give teachers ideas, based on standards and research, that they can take into their own classrooms and use as a starting point for their own lessons, ones that fit their teaching styles and their students' needs.