Teaching Experience Summary

My experience as an educator began in 1988 in the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. I was hired in late September to take over a 6th grade middle school basic studies class that the previous teacher abandoned. So much for follow through on her part! My basic direction was to keep the students in the classroom and not have them cause harm to anyone within the school.

Left to my own devices, I created literature units, creative math games and strategies, and research projects to gain both trust and buy-in with my students. Luckily, the students were excited to have a teacher who believed in their abilities, had high expectations for their future, and created active learning opportunities. My evaluations were high but my heart belonged to special education. As soon as the academic year was over, I had completed my certificate in Educable and Trainable Mental Retardation K-12 and put in for a transfer.

I was quickly placed in a self-contained special education (Educable Mentally Retarded) at M. E. Pearson Elementary School. I taught in this open classroom for one year before I was contacted by my coordinator and asked if I wanted to participate in a new program being implemented within a an elementary school in the south part of the district.

I was told that we would be collaborating with Dr. Floyd Hudson at KU, and the district Special Education department was in need of my services. I was honored to have been selected for this far-reaching work at such an early stage of my career. I immediately took the position at Noble Prentis Elementary School where I wrote my first Professional Development Program: Moving Toward Cognitive Excellence. This experience helped build my expertise in Metacognition, as well as the Collaborative Teaching Model for elementary schools, and enhanced my understanding of continuous learning as a teacher.

My career expanded from this point forward taking me through administrative positions, National Board Certification, Director of Professional Development for the Learning Exchange, and finally to the development of my own consulting company, Expanding Minds Consulting.

Each of these experiences provided me with the general and specialized knowledge of pedagogy and andragogy to enable me to believe in my ability to work in the field of higher education.