I love teaching fourth grade! There are so many fun and exciting things to learn in fourth grade and my students make me smile every day. The 2011-2012 school year will be my third year as a fourth grade teacher at West Grand Elementary. Prior to fourth grade, I taught at the middle school level for one year in addition to my student teaching year in seventh grade English.
I grew up in western Michigan between corn fields and the Great Lakes. I have three sisters, and we all enjoyed our time exploring nearby fields and spending the entire summer in the water. During high school, I was a swimmer, water polo player, life guard, and swim instructor. Teaching swimming lessons helped me discover my desire to become a teacher.
I attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education and English Literature. I spent one year studying in London, England, and I loved it! I traveled around the United Kingdom and some of western Europe. I have already started planning my retirement in Ireland. As an education student, I spent several weeks each semester in a different classroom in local schools. I experienced kindergarten up to middle school. I also spent time as a tutor for elementary students.
My husband and I met while working at a summer camp and were married on July 4, 2009. Being married is quite the adventure! Phil is currently pursing his degree in Secondary Education, English, and History. As you can imagine, our home is filled with books. It is also filled with cat hair from our charming cat Lucy.
Things You May Not Know...
* I am child number three
* I can wiggle my ears
* My favorite meal is meatloaf
* I wanted to work at Sea World
* My maiden name "Schaap" is the Dutch word for sheep
* My first car's name was the Silver Bullet
* My wedding cake was Funfetti flavor
* Tacky the Penguin is my all time favorite picture book
* I love banana bread
* I kissed the Blarney Stone
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| Mr. & Mrs. Ainslie |
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| Phil & me at our 4th of July wedding |
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| Lucy helping me grade papers |
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| Stonehenge, England |
