Class Trip to Wicked
WOW! What an incredible experience we had at WICKED! Thank you to Alison Shetter, our angel who secured the tickets. We are in your debt! Thank you also to David Ayers and Angela Gaylore, our amazing friends in the acting world--that you give so freely of your time humbles us! Thank you to the parents who allowed their students to participate, and to the administrators, who make it so fun for me to come to work every day. Mostly, however, thank you to the students. You are the reason I get up in the morning, and I am honored to have been able to spend the day with you! Because of you, I have the chance to fly every day! A link to the Daily Camera article: http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_13511141?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com
Teaching Background 
I have been teaching language arts and reading for 12 years. I started my career at Nederland Middle Senior High School in 1997, and I moved to Boulder High School in 2002. I earned my bachelors degree in English, and I have masters degrees in k-12 Literacy and K-12 Linguistically Diverse Education, so I am certified to teach English, Reading, and English as a Second Language (ESL). My passion is teaching reading. I love working with young people--they teach me how to be patient, kind, and open-minded, and for that I am so grateful! I believe that students cannot access content if they do not feel a sense of community, so I work throughout the year to earn the trust of my students and to show them that my job is to help them to see and believe in their own greatness, both as learners and as people!
I also teach a class at the University of Colorado in the School of Education, entitled "Language and Literacy Across the Curriculum: Teaching Reading in the Language Arts Classroom." In this class, I work to support the growth of future teachers as they learn how to support the growth of their future high school students.
Coaching
I spent 10 years coaching alpine ski racing, which was a very cold but very awesome experience. During my time as the head alpine ski coach at Nederland, I was lucky to work with incredible athletes, who earned titles such as Skier of the Year, Skimeister Champion (best athlete in all four disciplines), Giant Slalom State Champion, and Championship Slalom Team. 20 of these athletes were named to the All State Ski Team. I was humbled to twice earn State Alpine Ski Coach of the Year, culminating an incredibly rewarding decade with incredible people. (the picture is me with the mascots of the 2006 Olymics in Torino, Italy, during the Ladies Slalom event)
My Family
I am married to a wonderful man named Chris Warner, who teaches English and History at Legacy High School. Together we are raising our two daughters, Jordan (6 years old) and Justice (3 years old). Could they be cuter? (The picture on the left is our family-themed costume from last year--Alice in Wonderland / White Rabbit / Card. The picture on the right is the girls dressed as fairies).jpg)
Interesting Tidbit
I had a remarkable year of teaching last year (just ask any of my students!). I worked with the most talented and amazing students, and together we became a family. My year of teaching made such an impact on me that I've chosen to write a book about the experience. Please feel free to ask me about this endeavor--it's the most exciting thing I've ever worked on, largely because I have so much admiration for my students and what they taught me, so I'm enthusiastic to share!
Fun Facts About Me!
My favorite place in all the world is DISNEYLAND! It truly is the happiest place on earth! (The picture is from our last trip to Disneyland in summer 2008)
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My favorite TV show is Friends. If you aren't familiar with Friends, you should rush out immediately and rent all 10 seasons--it's the only way that you will understand the majority of jokes that I will tell in class. 
I like to call myself a runner, but that's a gross overstatement. Really what I do is sort of limp down the road at speeds that would impress no one. Nonetheless, I enjoy being outside and I'm trying to set some long term running goals (no pictures for this one--believe me, I'm giving you a gift by not providing a visual aid!)
Some of my favorite jokes fall into the "Chuck Norris" genre. Any time I'm having a bad day, feel free to spring a Chuck Norris joke on me--I'll be eternally grateful for the chuckle! In case you need some support preparing to tell me the perfect Chuck Norris joke, here's a website that will help:
http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/
Justice's Third Birthday Party
This August, my daughter, Justice, celebrated her third birthday. She decided on a "fairy" theme, so we had a face painter and a really cool "fairy" cake. Yes, I made that cake myself, and not without a bit of a cake catastrophe (the top of the cake fell off the back of the cake at 10:00pm the night before the party).
