Welcome to my Web Page!

    I am currently a student at Pacific University, earning my Masters Degree in early childhood/ elementary education. I recently began student teaching and have been learning so much from two great mentor teachers at Free Orchards Elementary School.

    I am half way through the MAT program and although it is a lot of work, it has been a very rewarding experiences. The program has opened my eyes to new topics and has provided many great opportunities. I have enjoyed working with both the early childhood students and the upper elementary students this year. Although the two are very different, they have been very rewarding and have taught me many lessons as I begin my teaching career.

     The younger students are so excited to be in school, everything is new and exciting to them. I enjoy reading, and am very interested in the process students go through when learning to read. I hope to get a reading endorsement after completing my masters courses. One of the high lights of my year has been watching students gain confidence in their reading abilities, and graduating from picture books to their long awaited first chapter book.

    I have had a great time working with the older students as well.  Our class has created some amazing projects, including their own Northwest Coastal Native American Villages and a community potlatch. We have had some interesting classroom discussions too. I enjoy exploring the material at a deeper level, and watching the students come to  their own conclusions.

    After teaching in these two classes, I feel very lucky knowing that I will enjoy teaching at any grade level. I can’t wait to take on the challenges of becoming a full time teacher.