This is my 15^th year in education, all of those amazing years have been spent here in Whitehouse.  Before moving into the Learning Resource Center (LRC) I taught 1^st grade for 13 years. When the opportunity in the LRC became available, I knew it was the right move for me.  Now, I get to share the love of reading with about 600 students every year, instead of just the 20 or so that were in my classroom.  I also have the amazing opportunity to share the wonder and excitement of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathmatics or STEAM with all the students on campus. 

As a little girl I had two loves, camping and playing school.  Even before I could walk, my mom and dad took my sister and I all over the United States, showing and teaching the two of us about various historical places and monuments. From a very young age, I fell in love with the beauty of creation and the magic and wonder of learning new information about the places we visited. I treasured each trip we took and wanted some day to be able to share that knowledge with others. 

Later in life, those two loves became more than just things I cared about. They became potential job opportunities.  When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would tell people either a park ranger or a teacher. I abandoned the dream of park ranger when my grandmother informed me that I would have to live out in the woods with no one else if I became a park ranger!  My focus shifted towards making my other dream come true; the dream of becoming an educator. 

I try to make learning come alive and have meaning. That little girl who wanted to be a park ranger, gets excited when she can show her captive audience the beauty and wonder of life, through innovative science lessons in Makerspace about plants, animals and much more.  She gets to share her love of knowledge as she makes history, art and math come to life for her students. I guess in a way, both of my dreams came true! 

My hope, as they leave Makerspace and the Learning Resource Center each day, is that each student knows, first and foremost, that I love them and second, that life brings you ups and downs but it’s what you do with those moments that truly make a difference. Some say they go to their job and work each day. I get to say, I live out my dream each day, shaping and molding future CEO’s, educators, lawyers, doctors and maybe even a future President.  I wouldn’t trade that for the world!