The core values I live by are integrity, loyalty, respect, responsibility and perseverance to achieve excellence. My education journey began in 1997 in the D.C. Everest School District. I have been influenced by amazing colleagues, mentors, educational leaders and phenomenal opportunities. I am a seasoned professional educator and have taught every grade first through sixth. Currently, I teach sixth grade ELA and am involved in rewriting our curriculum. One of my passions has become EdTech to improve student outcomes and enhance individualized education. I share this passion by holding a coaching position within my building for our Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).My philosophy is simple, “I must open the heart before I can open the mind.” My mission is to empower curious, creative learners to discover and connect through a plethora of interdisciplinary and differentiated lessons that engage and challenge students to learn far beyond the mandated curriculum. I work equally as hard to integrate social and emotional learning (SEL) into our robust curriculum as we develop relationships.As a 2017 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year, I seek to be a leader who makes a positive difference in my school, community, world and the field of education. I am committed to sharing my passions and expertise through mentoring, staff development, presenting at conferences and teaching courses. Our world is constantly changing so to best prepare children for the future, I work to make my classroom and our school as dynamic as the world around us.