Educators form the foundation of every other field. Individually, we teach anywhere from 25 to hundreds of students each year. Our influence on the future of our country grows exponentially in a very short time. The demands upon teachers have evolved from an excellence in teaching the highest standards by content area to a qualitative evaluation of teacher value based on student performance and choices. It is clear that by these standards, not everyone is designed to educate today's students. And yet, the demand for high quality teachers is higher than ever before!

I bring fifteen years of experience in teaching middle and high school students around the state of Missouri. During those years, I have worked in large and small districts alike, in enrichment, core, and support areas. In the last few years, my teaching has expanded from only students to include teachers as well. I have found that I love coaching my students versus leading a class through primarily teacher-directed instruction. As the Communication Arts and Student Services instructor at Lake Career and Technical Center in Camdenton, MO, I get to enjoy every student and every teacher! I primarily work with sophomores, juniors, and seniors in a course called, Technical English. The challenge is to bring high quality literacy instruction to programs such as culinary arts, graphics, photography, computer repair, teacher education, law enforcement, and several health sciences courses. As the demands for literacy across every content increases, my  content becomes more and more relevant. I love the challenge of out-of-the-box thinking and problem-solving at a building and district with educators I respect and admire.