Hello Blue Ridge!  This is my 22th year teaching at Blue Ridge.  This year I will be returning to the Elementary Campus to help in the Special Education Department.

I graduated from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics.  After graduating I took additional college courses in Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry and Nutrition.  In 2003/2004 I became a certified teacher through the Region 10 Alternative Certification Program

Education allows people to develop in ways they may not have imagined. By gaining new knowledge and abilities, the learner improves performance, achieves greater goals, and enhances thought-processes throughout his or her lifetime. Truly, education leads to a better quality of life, not only for those who seek it, but also for society at large.  An educated person is a more powerful person, as history has proven time and time again. 

From a teacher’s perspective, the ability to educate requires a person to take the subject matter and relate it to the students in a meaningful way. Even a highly trained and intelligent person may not be the best educator if he cannot make the material interesting and relevant. Yet when this does happen, and when the subject matter is added to previously learned behavior or knowledge, true learning occurs.

In order to achieve this goal, lessons must challenge the student while at the same time, peaking curiosity. The ability of the teacher to know his or her students, to understand what motivates each of them, and to make the lessons engaging is crucial. It is a complex task, which is why those who enter the field of education discover that learning never stops. There are always new ways to make education even better.