Shortly before his death at the age of 87, the master artist Michelangelo was quoted as saying, "I am still learning."  This is a philosophy I live by and hope to instill in my students.  We are all still learning; this year maybe more than ever.

     Being a life long learner means taking on new challenges, having the courage to fail and try again, and being accepting of new ideas.  Creating art can be scary - especially in a room full of your peers.  I hope room 114 is a place where we all feel comfortable expressing our ideas, stretching our skills, and making fantastic mistakes.  This is a room where we strive to be better than we were yesterday.  We share ideas, ask questions, and make suggestions.  We put forth our best effort and judge our success by personal growth.  We are not in competition with one another.  We know we all achieve more when we work together.  Creativity is strengthened when we collaborate with our peers.

    I am still learning Schoology.  There will be times I press the wrong button or post something in the wrong place.  I ask your patience and promise you mine.  I know you're still learning it too.

    I am still learning how to pace classes that are partially asynchronous.  I'm just not sure how quickly or slowly we'll move through some activities.  Please reach out with concerns.  Otherwise, I won't know.

    I am still learning how to juggle the new work load.  I know you are, too.  Let's work together to figure things out.

    Above all, I am happy to still be learning with the artists of Northern High School.  I am grateful for the students I see each day and the relationships we get to build.  I love being a part of Team Northern.

My Background

    I graduated from Millersville University with an art education Bachelor of Science degree in 1999 and later earned my Master of Education Degree also in Art Education from Millersville.

    Before coming to Northern, I taught at Perryville High School in Maryland and Scotland Elementary School in Chambersburg.  I began teaching at Northern in 2002 and have loved it ever since.  

    I currently teach Drawing and Painting 1, Drawing and Painting 2, Honors Drawing and Painting, AP 2D Studio Art, and Yearbook.

    I love to draw and paint, work in the garden, and photograph my kids' sporting events.  I dig into family and local history as often as possible and love to read a good book in the fresh air.

    My favorite times are spent with my husband and our two kids.  Whether it's watching them play sports, competing in trivia, going on a road trip, or having a living room dance party, I love being surrounded by their laughter.