About Me

Some things to know about your instructor:

I am an enthusiastic life-long learner.  (Sometimes also known as a real goober.)  I most enjoy encouraging others to learn or try something new.

Some examples:
When I was a Girl Scout leader, I talked most of the moms of the troop into becoming "Outdoor Trained" with me.  Several of these ladies went on to become troop leaders and even leader trainers.

Also in Girl Scouts, I learned quickly that event organizers are prized.  I created many new events for various Girl Scout troops; my favorite was a weekend campout in Ramstein, Germany that included a made-just-for-the-campout 5K Volksmarch.

While in Stillwater, my pride and joy has been expanding the Odyssey of the Mind program (an international problem-solving competition) from the two teams we started for my two kiddos to 16 teams last year.  I recruit kids from all over town, get them set up on teams, recruit their coaches and help them get going, and organize events for the teams (and for teams from all over the state.)  Last year, we broke new ground by also allowing our kids to choose to compete in Destination ImagiNation, which is considered an evil competitor program by the OM people.  We just see it as five additional problems from which the kids can choose.


Here is part of my high school team from 2010 at World Finals.  They created "Billy" and "Joel" (the Olmec heads you see above) as their required "treasure from antiquity."  Our treasures were walking, talking, dancing members of the action, which was a scream!  To see a video of this year's team performing at World Finals in Maryland, click here.  (They took FOURTH PLACE at Worlds!)

I am a voracious reader.  I read magazines, blogs, books, the back of cereal boxes, and I keep lists of books I want to read next.  (Told you I was a goober.)

I am a military wife and a mother of two wonderful kids.  I grew up in Billings, Montana and married an Air Force officer.  In our Air Force career, we lived in the following locations:
  • Rapid City, South Dakota
  • Vandenberg AFB, California (central coast)
  • Great Falls, Montana 
  • Omaha, Nebraska
  • Ramstein, Germany
  • Stillwater, OK  
I am almost an empty-nester.  Daughter Tory goes to school at the University of Nebraska and son Robin is in his senior year at Stillwater High.  (Photo courtesy of OutInTheGardenPhotography by Karen Lemly.)

I am a teacher with a wide variety of experiences.  I had self-contained classrooms for grades 1, 2, 3, and 4.  I taught Gifted and Talented for grades 1 - 5.  Finally, I am a school library media specialist (certified K-12) with experience at the elementary level (grades PreK - 5). 

I am a traveler.  Check out my map:



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