Science

About the Teacher
I started teaching at MJHS in 2003.  For the first 4 years I taught 7th grade Earth & Life sciences, but in 2007 I moved to 8th grade to teach Chemistry & Physics.  I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree from Bradley University (Peoria) in 2002 and am currently working on a Masters degree in Teaching & Leadership/Administration from the University of Illinois (Springfield).  I have also spent the better part of 10 years working for the USDA - National Center for Agriculture Utilization Research (or "Ag Lab" for short).  Although I don't work full time at the Ag Lab anymore, I still spend some summers there and keep in close contact with my co-workers.  They continually supply my classroom with hard-to-find items, such as liquid nitrogen and other chemicals, for my demonstration days.  My former extracurricular activities include 5 years as the MJHS Dance Team coach, 3 years as co-sponsor for student council, and 2 years as White Team leader.  I have been the science department head since 2007. 

I love my job and get more enthusiastic about science with each passing year.  Striving to be a livelong learner, I continuously look for ways to expand my science knowledge and expertise...this usually encompasses much of my summer months.  I have spent my summers working at the Ag Lab or teaching college for kids at Illinois Central College.  However, this summer I had the opportunity to work for Fermilab in Batavia, IL.  Fermilab is a famous physics laboratory that houses the Tevatron, a 4 mile particle collider.  CERN, located in Geneva, Switzerland, houses the world's biggest collider, the LHC, at closer to 17 miles in circumference.  My project at Fermilab dealt primarily with the CMS detector, one of the two biggest detectors at CERN.  Every year I look forward to integrating my lab experiences into my curriculum at MJHS. 

I am also a volunteer member of the American Chemical Society where I spend time putting on super cool hands-on science demonstrations during National Chemistry Week every October.  (I have also been known to give out extra credit just for having a blast at these fun activities!)  Through ACS, I have also organized and facilitated several workshops for teachers to integrate science across the curriculum.  Still want to know more?  I'm a huge hockey fan!  Growing up, I spent 7 years playing ice hockey...I was the only girl on the team!

Language Arts

About the Teacher     

Mission for the Class

The mission of my class is to widen a student's outlook on learning and literature through providing a wide range of stories and novels to share.  Also, I strive to provide a positive and welcoming environment to all students.  Learning in a positive atmosphere is not only a path to success, but also a way to a better educational outlook.