I love teaching intermediate grade students! I've taught mostly grades 4, 5 and blended classes plus 6th grade, middle school math, 1st grade, high school at-risk computers, and served as our district's K-12 Academic Achievement Specialist.
I'm now retired from 34 years teaching in Oregon's public schools and am passionate about helping other teachers by sharing what worked for me. I've taught blends and large class sizes of 30+ students, so the independent projects and activities I developed got students focused and gave me time to teach curriculum to students in the other grade level.
I give students choices using projects, activities, and hands-on materials and integrate technology everywhere possible to get the highest results.
Students rise to our expectations, so we must teach each child as if he or she is gifted and talented. Expect a lot, get a lot!
Students should not have to ask, "When are we ever going to use this?" If you teach with real life applications, they will KNOW.
• Disney Teacher Award Honoree, 2006
• Microsoft's First Worldwide Innovative Teacher
• Intel Innovative Teacher, 2005
• JASON XV Teacher Argonaut, Panama, Dr. Robert Ballard's Expedition Team, 2004
• Mount Vernon Teachers Institute Recipient from Oregon, 2010
• Mount Vernon Lesson Plan of the Year, 2010
• OnPoint Credit Union Excellence in Education Award, 2011
• Featured in the book, One-On-One with America's Most Inspiring Teachers, 2011
• Featured in the book, Teaching with the Internet K-12: New Literacies for New Times, 2004
• Redmond Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year, 2003
• Master of Arts in Teaching
• Bachelor of Arts Elementary Education
• Standard Elementary Teaching Certificate
• Mathematics Endorsement through Algebra I
• Reading Endorsement
I live on in Oregon on a 10-acre farm in Oregon with my husband and our sixth Golden Retriever. Our only daughter is a Physical Therapist in New England. I enjoy family times, kayaking, traveling and camping, quilting, reading, and exploring the great outdoors.
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My Blog
My Previous Blog
My 4th Grade Classroom Website
PreK, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, Adult Education, Homeschool, Not Grade Specific
English Language Arts, Balanced Literacy, Creative Writing, Writing-Expository, Reading, Grammar, Spelling, Vocabulary, Specialty, Math, Algebra, Arithmetic, Basic Operations, Fractions, Geometry, Graphing, Measurement, Numbers, Order of Operations, Science, Basic Principles, Biology, Earth Sciences, Social Studies - History, U.S. History, Arts & Music, Graphic Arts, Special Education, Other (Specialty), ELA Test Prep, Math Test Prep, Geography, Other (Social Studies - History), Gifted and Talented, Critical Thinking, For All Subject Areas, Literature, Classroom Management, Professional Development, School Counseling, Economics , Character Education, Word Problems, Study Skills, General Science, Problem Solving, Writing, Reading Strategies, Holidays/Seasonal, Back to School, Thanksgiving, Christmas/ Chanukah/ Kwanzaa, Poetry, Mental Math, Halloween, Winter, The New Year, Valentine's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Decimals, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Place Value, Products For TpT Sellers, Tools for Common Core, For All Subjects, Informational Text, Handwriting, Test Preparation, End of Year, Close Reading, Women's History Month, Classroom Community