Welcome to 1st Grade! I am so excited you are here! This will be my 3rd year teaching 1st grade and my 3rd year at Donaldson. I was born and raised in Iowa, right on the Mississippi River. I attended Iowa State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude in December of 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Upon graduating, I began working as a substitute teacher in the central Iowa area for a year and a half. During my time as a substitute, I worked in all grade levels K-12, but I worked as a long-term substitute in Kindergarten and 1st grade. I fell in love with 1st grade as a substitute, and am so grateful to be teaching 1st grade again this year!

When I am not teaching, I like to spend time with my husband and our cat, going hiking, riding my bike, taking pictures, crafting, reading and watching movies. I love spending as much time as possible outside, enjoying the beauty of the desert! 

Defining Moment in Education

I have known I wanted to help people ever since I was in elementary school. At first, I had big dreams of working in medicine, but I realized that the people who have had the most impact on my life were my teachers, not doctors. Throughout elementary and middle school, my teachers helped me develop a love for learning, provided me with a safe space to learn, and encouraged me to achieve my goals. All of these experiences shaped me into the educator that I am today, with the goal of providing a safe and supportive learning environment for my students. 

Core Educational Beliefs

I believe that real life experiences and hands-on activities create meaningful and engaging lessons for my students. I am always looking for engaging and new ways to teach and for ways to incorporate 21st century skills into my instruction as well. I believe that every student has the ability to achieve their goals, and I make it my goal to help each of them achieve every goal they set for themselves. I absolutely love teaching 1st grade because it is a year where they make tremendous growth physically, academically, and socially. As their first grade teacher, I am honored to be able to encourage their individuality, and help them develop the skills to become lifelong learners.