I grew up on a family farm in Southern Illinois. My mom was a teacher for 40 years, at least 25 as a First Grade teacher. My dad owns his own chemical and fertilizer company, as well as a propane company. Even though I would never admit it when I was younger, I always wanted to be a teacher. I honestly can't imagine myself doing anything else. I attended Southeast Missouri State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education/Elementary Education in 2008. After being a Third Grade teacher for four years, I decided it was time for a change. I packed my bags and dogs {two of them} and headed to a new area in MetroEast St. Louis. I took a job as a PreK teacher. I swore I would NEVER teach Prekinders, but here I was, starting a new adventure. This is where my love for teaching outside the box truly blossomed. You see, the curriculum for my PreK students did not allow me to copy any worksheets. Yeah, I know...it was a struggle at first. But then I started frequenting the local Dollar Tree, and the rest, they say, is history...
