I can proudly say that I have been a teacher since 1970. My public
school teaching experience began and ended twenty-one years later
in a middle school in southern Indiana. After finishing my coursework
for a PhD in Bloomington, Indiana, I commuted to the University
of Green Bay where I was the only Reading professor on staff. That
experience allowed me to get out of my comfort zone of middle school
reading and teach all the courses that were offered by UWGB in Reading
as well as the Middle School course. This allowed me to experience
the entire gamut of reading instruction from early literacy through
high school. I also ran the Middle Level Seminar for educators across
the state that participated in a seminar involving noted middle
school researchers from around the nation. Since coming to the University
of Wisconsin Oshkosh, I have concentrated on teaching secondary
and content literacy to graduate and undergraduate students. In
2003, I became Chair and Graduate Coordinator of the Reading Education
Department, which allowed me to grow in the areas of administration
and supervision.
My scholarship involves looking at professionals as change agents,
integrating the curriculum through thematic themes and strategies
and using test data to make informed decisions. I have eighteen
peer reviewed and invited publications and reviews. I worked closely
with the West Bend Reading Professionals on a two-year staff development
and grant initiative. I have been fortunate to be able to present
my work at four international, eleven national and twenty-two state
conferences. Additionally, I am a member of many national and regional
professional organizations. I am currently focusing on helping teachers
become change agents and reflective professionals in the field and
am a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Professional Development
Plan higher education verifier.
