Grade/subject: Seventh- and eighth-grade wellness at Westfield Middle School
Number of years teaching: Seven
Background/schooling: Lafayette Jefferson High School; bachelor’s in health education, Ball State University; and master’s in curriculum and educational technology, Ball State.
Why did you become a teacher? Being in the school environment has always felt like a great fit for me, but it wasn’t until I was four years into my elementary education degree that I figured out my passion for teaching health and wellness. Middle schoolers are about as fun (and by “fun,” I mean interesting, unpredictable, dramatic, funny and brutally honest) as they come. It is truly my dream job.
What goals do you have for your students? I hope to instill an interest, a passion, a desire, (no matter how big or small) for starting healthy habits and striving for wellness in all my students.
What do you encourage parents to do at home to help their children strengthen particular skills? As much as we do not think our children are watching and learning, they are. Being a positive role model at home is the best thing a parent can do. Those healthy habits and behaviors are influenced far more from home than any year’s worth of lessons I can offer.
What is your favorite movie? I love watching movies! My favorite movie has always been “The Never-Ending Story” but a close second is a documentary I watched called, “Mile Mile and a Half” about hiking the John Muir Trail – a new life goal of mine.
Who is your favorite musician or band? Lana Del Rey, Florence and the Machine and Wilco are amongst my top listening these days, but I can never get enough Reggae.
What’s something your students might not know about you? Even though I was on every sports team in middle school, I mostly played right bench with a little bit of left bench in any sport that involved a ball. Therefore, I run.
